


Meet Again

by spacen



Category: Lego Ninjago
Genre: Child Neglect, Gen, Memory Loss, Reincarnation AU, Substance Abuse, cole's POV
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-08
Updated: 2018-10-20
Packaged: 2019-01-10 22:02:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 69,666
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12308709
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spacen/pseuds/spacen
Summary: Thousands of years into the future, Cole and Zane meet their friends again.





	1. RED | FIRE

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to my fic! Be warned that it is long and occasionally uses images. I hope you enjoy it!

**RED | FIRE**

**MAGENTA | WATER**

**BLUE | LIGHTNING**

**GREEN | ENERGY**

**TOGETHER | UNITY**

When Cole turned twenty-seven, it occurred to him that he was no longer aging. The other ninja were growing, appearing older with each passing year. But not Cole. He never changed, and on his twenty-seventh birthday, he realized that he was never going to look different than he did when he was twenty-one.

Going from human to ghost to human again had severed his body from the effects of time. He wasn't immortal, and knew he never would be. He could still be killed by a knife or a bullet or even a big fall, but old, failing organs would never get to him. The first century, it kept him awake at night, scared of facing eternity when most of his friends would be long gone and anyone he met would disappear after any handful of years, too. What kind of existence was that?

He didn't want to die, though. The thought of death scared him more than eternity, so he found himself staying put in the land of the living. Besides, it would have felt selfish to leave Zane alone with no one but PIXAL until the end of time.

They learned that Lloyd's lifespan was longer than average. But after 150 years of living, whatever Garmadon vitality had kept him alive for so long died and so did the green ninja. The funeral was a national affair, the public mourning the person they'd come to see as the face of good in a world so often plagued by evil. Cole was asked to write a eulogy, so he sat down and wrote a long-winded speech—as he had for everyone else—and practiced in the mirror the night before the funeral but never presented it because he didn't go.

He didn't go to any of their funerals. Saying goodbye to people he'd gone through so much with felt impossible, so Zane would speak on Cole's behalf and he'd spend the day and following weeks holed up in his room, staring at the ceiling or watching the same movies over and over again or eating an unhealthy amount of ice cream because during those times he couldn't bring himself to care about anything, let alone himself. Zane left him alone after Lloyd's funeral, checking in on him occasionally but knowing to stay out of his way until he was better.

And he did get better. It was easy to fall into some kind of depression when life made no sense anymore and yet it was going to last forever, but even if it took years upon years he was always able to pull himself out again. Sometimes, a new foe was his only reason to get out of bed and go out into the world, but it gave him a chance to dedicate his life to something worthwhile again. Fighting without Jay, Kai, Nya, and Lloyd always left a dull ache in his chest, but it ebbed away after the third century passed. His deceased friends slowly turned into happy memories, memories of his first lifetime that made him feel nostalgic if he ever took a trip to visit Destiny's Bounty or Steeper Wisdom. Sometimes, Zane came with him and they reminisced about old times, laughing about something Jay said or the time when Kai gave in to his impulses and tried to climb the mast of the Bounty, only to fall and hurt his arm on the way down. Cole and Jay had stood off to the side, laughing to themselves as Nya chewed him out for nearly getting himself killed.

Cole began to see his past in lifetimes. His times with the ninja were his first lifetime, his favorite lifetime. Every century became a lifetime. In earlier lifetimes, Cole travelled around and made appearances at public gatherings or the history museum. Some lifetimes, the eternity depression hit and he spent years laying in bed, watching society and culture develop from a distance.

At first, they didn't need money. By the end of their ninja careers, they'd amassed a fortune in donations and awards. But Cole could see that they would run out eventually, so by his sixth lifetime, he sucked it up and got a job. He was far less famous than he'd been back in the ninja prime years, so finding a quiet flower shop on a street corner in Ninjago City was ideal for living life on the down-low.

Urban sprawl made people want to fill their homes with plants to remind them of the country side, so the shop boomed even as technology continued to grow and influence their lives. When his first boss retired, Cole was put in charge of the shop and guaranteed job security as long as he could keep the shop open. He stayed there, hiring students and teenagers that were only interested in working for a few years or the summer to make sure his secret was kept hidden.

He found himself in a routine for many more lifetimes. He no longer lived with Zane, but made sure to visit at least a few times a month. He didn't make many friends, the fear of falling back into a depression when they inevitably died keeping him from making meaningful connections with anyone he met. He'd never been one to make friends as a child anyways, and some habits carried over into young adulthood. He was perfectly content with casual acquaintances and keeping up with Zane.

It was during his thirty-first lifetime that he got a sudden voice call from Zane. He blinked three times to answer. Zane's robotic voice spoke directly into his brain.

" _I met someone familiar at Borg Tower today,"_ Zane said.

Cole leaned back in his office chair, covering his mouth as he yawned. "Who'd you meet?"

" _Feel free to sit down so you may jump up in excitement,"_ Zane said. Cole rolled his eyes. " _There was a new intern today. I thought she looked familiar, so I approached her to say hello. Her name? Nya."_

"That's not exactly an uncommon name," Cole commented.

" _I'm not finished. I used my facial recognition scanner on her, and the results said that she was the same Nya we knew so many years ago. Her voice has not changed, either. How is this possible? Do you suppose that somehow, she's come back to life again?"_

Cole sat up straighter. "What? Did you ask her anymore questions?"

" _I didn't want to pry, but she mentioned an older brother. I believe this may very well be Kai."_

"If she comes back in tomorrow, ask her more questions. Find out what her brother's name is. If this is really them through whatever cosmic coincidence brought them back, Jay and Lloyd may be alive, too."

A pause.

" _Are you sure seeking them out is the best idea? I'm afraid of what will happen when they die a second time."_

A valid concern. Cole's fingers tapped his desk as he thought of what happened last time, how he shut himself in for months after their funerals. Was it worth it?

He decided that he didn't care. Self-indulgent as it was, he would do anything to meet his friends again. Even if they didn't remember him or everything they'd been through so many years ago.

"I'll be okay. Thanks for giving me the heads up, talk to you tomorrow."

By the time he went home, he was barely able to contain his excitement as he rode the elevator up to his apartment. Once inside, he flopped down on his couch and brought up Chirp before his vision.

During his third lifetime, Chirp began to delete the accounts of anyone inactive for more than five years. This way, old usernames were released for new users and millions of inactive accounts no longer clogged their database. Cole was sure to create a new account every eighty years to avoid any potential suspicion, be it from the Chirp developers or the odd history buff determined to locate the two living ninja. Some were still out there, and it had been so many years since Cole had last appeared publicly.

He brought up Chirp's search bar and typed in ' fire13'.

A little more than a thousand chirps. This user had been active for quite a few years, but the chirps didn't catch his attention as much as the bio on the side of the page. He felt his heart beat faster at the prospect of photos.

 **you cant handle this heat**  
**fire13**  
_18\. Kai. Follow my insta kai_fire13_

He clicked the link and an Instagram page opened. Kai was just as active here, the pictures he uploaded showing a face identical to the Red Ninja of Fire laid to rest thousands of lifetimes ago.

Nya and Kai were alive again. Memories or not, Cole wanted to talk to them again. Laugh with them again. Hang out again. Meet again.

He followed Kai on Instagram and Chirp. Kai didn't know him yet, so Cole hoped the quick succession of sudden follows would catch his attention. He couldn't remember Jay or Lloyd's social media handles—Jay had a new username every few months and Lloyd had always preferred talking in person, so both of them would be impossible to track down over the Internet. Kai made himself easy to find, and Cole was thankful for it.

He went back to Chirp and scrolled through Kai's profile. He didn't understand most of the chirps since he had no context, but some of them made sense, like when he talked about his day or made a stupid joke. Kai uploaded the occasional video of him following through on a dare, like dropping a water balloon on an unsuspecting nindroid officer from a high-rise building or touching electric fences. For his birthday, Kai went to the beach with his friends. Apparently, this version of Kai didn't share the same fear of water. Huh. As Cole read Kai's recounts of the day, he wondered what other differences existed between this Kai and the past Kai.

Tears began to sting his eyes and by the time he reached last year on Kai's feed, his chest ached with the same ache he'd felt after their funerals and his face felt hot as tears streamed down his cheeks. He closed his eyes and breathed. Four seconds in, four seconds out. Just like Zane taught him.

He didn't open Kai's Chirp page again for the remainder of the night. It was hard to concentrate on anything but his resurrected friends at the flower shop the next day, so he found himself staring at the wall, lost in thought until Zane finally called him.

" _I spoke with Nya again today,"_ Zane said. " _Her older brother's name is Kai. It may have been insensitive of me, but I asked if she had any plans for Mother's Day in two weeks. She told me that her family was planning on spending the day together, nothing complicated. Their parents are alive. Do you think there are any other differences?"_

"I checked out Kai's social media last night," Cole said. "He isn't afraid of water."

" _That's interesting. I will attempt to become Nya's friend so the two of us may discuss her life in greater detail. If you genuinely think you'll be okay to meet them again, feel free to contact Kai. I'm sure he's as social as ever."_

"Yeah, I'm sure he is. I'll find a way to get in touch with him."

Over the course of the day, Cole checked Kai's Chirp account often. When Kai uploaded a new picture to Instagram, Cole liked the picture to try to catch his attention. Nothing. Kai had too many followers to notice someone new, apparently.

Time to be bold. Cole scrolled down until he reached the photos from two years ago, older pictures of Kai when he was sixteen. And then he liked one.

The action made him cringe, but it would certainly grab Kai's attention. He could only hope that Kai would react and give him an opportunity to talk to him.

After liking the picture, Cole spent the rest of the day ordering an assortment of roses, lilies, tulips, and other flowers to create bouquets for Mother's Day. He'd almost forgotten. It wasn't like he'd ever had much reason to celebrate in the first place.

At 16:40, a message popped up in his Instagram DMs.

 **kai_fire13  
** who even r u?

Kai was as confrontational as ever. Okay. Cole could do this. No reason to panic. It was only a conversation with someone he used to call his brother.

 **flintcole  
** A history nerd. I just noticed you look a lot like the red ninja from way back when.

 **kai_fire13  
** i thought there was only a green one

 **flintcole  
** What did your school even teach you? There were six of them. Red, black, white, blue, green, and magenta/cyan.

 **kai_fire13  
** kinda sounds like they ran out of ideas on that last one

 **kai_fire13  
** are u sure i look like one of them? send a pic and ill be the judge of that

 **kai_fire13  
** if they even had pics back then

 **flintcole  
** They did. One second, I'll find a good picture.

Cole rummaged through his photo gallery until he found the picture they'd taken of Kai and Nya when Nya had first become a ninja. On the physical copy of the photograph, 'ninja siblings' was written on the back in felt marker.

He sent the picture.

 **flintcole  
** See the guy? He looks just like you.

 **kai_fire13  
** wtf ur right

 **kai_fire13  
** hes almost as hot as me

 **kai_fire13  
** the chick looks like my little sis too

 **flintcole  
** Really?

 **kai_fire13  
** yeah like they have the same hair and everything

 **kai_fire13  
** ur not messing with me tho right? this is real?

 **flintcole  
** 100% authentic.

 **kai_fire13  
** send me more

Cole sent forward whatever pictures featured Kai and not himself or Zane. He didn't want to blow their cover just yet.

 **kai_fire13  
** this is wild like its blowing my mind man

 **kai_fire13  
** im showing these to the sis when she gets home shell love it

 **flintcole  
** Is she at school, or?

 **kai_fire13  
** she finished school early so now shes some intern at borg

 **kai_fire13  
** im not into all that techy stuff so i dont ask questions

 **flintcole  
** Wow, she must be smart. I'm pretty sure the magenta one was really smart, too.

 **flintcole  
** She was also the only girl.

 **kai_fire13  
** girls are lame so this is understandable

 **kai_fire13  
** i never said that

 **kai_fire13  
** nya would kill me

 **flintcole  
** Her name is Nya? I have a friend who works at Borg that met an intern with the same name. Any chance they're the same person?

 **kai_fire13  
** does this friend happen to be some nindroid named zane

 **kai_fire13  
** heard hes been laying the moves on her

 **flintcole  
** Zane has a girlfriend. I'm pretty sure he isn't interested in your sister.

 **kai_fire13  
** man you know you cant trust anyone :/

 **kai_fire13  
** not even emotionally stunted robots

 **flintcole  
** Take my word for it, Zane is /not/ flirting with her. He's just a little awkward at times.

 **kai_fire13  
** fine flintcole

 **kai_fire13  
** is your name flint or cole

 **flintcole  
** My name is Cole.

 **kai_fire13  
** so is that username a rock pun

 **flintcole  
** I guess, yeah.

 **kai_fire13  
** you gotta get a better name dude

 **flintcole  
** Your name is literally "fire13" on Chirp. Are you serious? That's so basic.

 **kai_fire13  
** do you understand how hard it is to get a username with any variation of the word fire in it

 **kai_fire13  
** i worked hard for this username flint

 **kai_fire13  
** fkn blood sweat and tears

 **kai_fire13  
** not mine tho

 **flintcole  
** Are you implying that you killed the previous ' fire13' so you could have their username?

 **kai_fire13  
**. . . maybe

Cole covered his hand with his mouth to stifle a laugh. He shouldn't be doing this at work, not when they were preparing for Mother's Day, one of the busiest times of the year. But this was important and he couldn't bring himself to say goodbye.

Fortunately, Kai did it for him.

 **kai_fire13  
** my parents are out tonight and nyas still gone and i just realized theres nothing to eat

 **kai_fire13  
** gotta head out and get some stuff

 **kai_fire13  
** u seem chill tho wanna talk tomorrow?

 **flintcole  
** Sure.

 **kai_fire13  
** k ttyl flint

The rest of the day was spent preparing further. He closed the shop around dinner and returned home. After making a quick dinner, he sat down on the couch and scrolled back through his conversation with Kai as he ate, cherishing each message sent back and forth with his old friend.

And then he felt heat behind his eyes and he had to stop. Remembering the old Kai and seeing him in this new one felt like ripping old wounds. Like cutting into scars and letting them bleed again. Fear and elation fought in his core, one telling him to cut ties and the other telling him to risk everything and indulge himself.

Zane was right, this wasn't good for him. But he'd be damned if he let the opportunity go to waste.

" _Nya showed me photos of her past-self and Kai today,"_ Zane said during what had become their daily update call. " _You must have finally contacted him. How did it go?"_

"It went fine. He wants to talk again today," Cole replied. "Did Nya give you any other info?"

" _Nothing worth mentioning."_

Cole laughed. "Did you know she thinks you're hitting on her?"

" _I—what? No, I'm not. I swear."_ Zane sighed. " _PIXAL is laughing at me."_

"I think Kai is going to beat you up. Do you want that, Zane? Do you want Kai to beat you up?"

" _I highly doubt that either version of Kai could defeat me in combat."_

For the following month, Cole spoke to Kai everyday. He learned a lot more about him, like how this Kai also lived in Ninjago City, where he was finishing his last year of high school. He didn't know what he wanted to do when he was older. He felt he was destined for something big, but his low grades and lack of academic charisma had ruined those chances a long time ago.

Rather than being trained by his father and then Wu, Kai was training to fight at a nearby dojo. He liked to compete in tournaments all over the country, and spent a lot of his free time practicing. He was one of the best around, apparently. Pictures of his trophy shelf only proved this.

 **flintcole  
** If you're so good at fighting, why not work at a dojo or something?

 **kai_fire13  
** i dont think i could ever successfully train a kid in my life

They video-called for the first time. At the sight of Kai's living, moving face talking to him, Cole panicked and closed the call. The night sky beyond the window called to him, so he threw on his ninja garb and climbed up to the rooftop of his building.

His legs dangled over the edge of the roof. Looking down gave him vertigo so he kept his eyes to the sky, staring at the dark sheet of the starless night. He sighed. He'd grown up here when the city wasn't so suffocating, but even back then the stars had lost their battle against light pollution and disappeared from the sky. He missed the missions in the small villages far away from here, where the stars shone bright and Jay would teach him about the constellations that decorated the sky.

Maybe when this whole Kai and Nya fiasco was over, he'd leave. But he didn't know if Jay and Lloyd were around again, and while the idea of moving somewhere on the other side of the country excited him, he knew he couldn't leave until he found out if they were here—if somehow, his best friend and reluctant leader were back from the dead, reincarnated with no memories of the people they used to be.

Right now, none of this mattered. His attention was on Kai. And through Kai and Zane, he could meet Nya. He only had to bring himself to do it first.

 **flintcole  
** Sorry, something's wrong with all my tech. Don't think video-calling is going to work until I get it fixed.

 **kai_fire13  
** no prob its fine

 **kai_fire13  
** do you think we could meet up irl tho

 **kai_fire13  
** not to sound too forward but weve been talking for awhile and i think it would be cool

 **kai_fire13  
** if thats alright w you

 **flintcole  
** It's fine. When and where?

The meeting was scheduled for two days later. The day before, Cole tried to keep himself busy but the upcoming reunion (if it could be called that) loomed over his thoughts like a dark, expanding cloud.

The morning of their meet-up, Cole woke up too early out of anxiety and took an excessively long shower to pass the time. When he was finished, he spent half an hour picking clothes out of his closet and laundry bin and threw them around his room as he tried to figure out what to wear. He caught glimpses of himself in his mirror and worried that he would look too intimidating. He didn't have any pictures of himself on Instagram, and Kai had only seen his face for a few seconds at this point. His hair had grown out over the years, reaching his shoulders if he didn't tie it up in a bun. He didn't wear much other than black—the color was comforting to him, reminding him of his first lifetime and the duties he still had today. He wasn't as bulky as he was back in the prime ninja days, having given up the intense training regimen, but he still exercised and his element gave him extra strength if he was ever stuck in a bind. He appeared strong and rough around the edges—definitely not the person potential employees expected to see for a job interview at a flower shop.

Did Kai even care about appearances in the first place? Was he overthinking this?

Cole chose to wear one of his casual outfits, wearing black jeans and combat boots and a black rain jacket because it was spring and it always rained during the months leading up to summer. After making sure he had everything he needed—wallet, keys, and a ninja mask to cover his lower face  _just in case_ —he was ready to go.

The meeting place was decided to be a small mall connected to the light-rail system, easy for both of them to get to. The various rail lines were suspended above the city, weaving between the skyscrapers that poked into the clouds like spears. The areas beneath the city were considered historical artifacts after several Serpentine murals and remains were found scattered in the sewers and tunnels below the surface, so the only place to build the system was up in the clouds.

He arrived ten minutes early on purpose, giving him enough time to find where Kai wanted to meet him and wait there. It also allowed him to get a scope of the mall. Like wearing black, this was also a remnant habit from being a ninja: whenever he entered somewhere new, he noted possible escape routes and potential hiding places. Every five steps, he looked over his shoulder. Nothing threatening was there. Nothing was going to jump him from behind. His overworked survival instincts just gave him no other choice than to be jumpy in public spaces.

He found the store and stood off to the side as he waited. Five minutes in, a message popped up from Zane.

 **zjfalcon  
** Are you all right?

 **flintcole  
** Don't worry, I'll be fine. It's only Kai.

 **zjfalcon  
** Okay. You can call me if you ever need help.

 **flintcole  
** Thanks, mom.

The message was read but Zane never responded. Cole swapped between apps anxiously, playing games for a minute before trying to read and then browsing social media before he scrolled through past conversations with Kai to emotionally prepare himself. Then he played games again and the cycle repeated itself.

 **kai_fire13  
** are u the grunge looking guy

 **flintcole  
** Probably.

 **kai_fire13  
** okay i see you omw

Cole closed the windows in his vision and looked around. No spiky hair in sight. Where was he?

Cole felt a tap on his shoulder and it took all self-control not to turn around and punch his assailant into the next dimension. Instead, he jumped a little and twisted on the ball of his left foot to come face-to-face with none other than Kai himself.

Kai looked him up and down with dark eyes and laughed. "Are you always this jumpy?"

"I—" Cole tried to speak but his words caught in his throat, sudden fear of this person he had no right to be afraid of (they were still brothers, right?) building a wall between them as Cole stared into familiar eyes and tried to speak, to break the silence. He coughed and swallowed, ready to try again.

Kai's ringtone went off.

Kai pulled his phone out of his pocket and frowned. Handheld devices were still popular among teenagers, as biotech wasn't available for anyone under 25. It was too dangerous for the developing brain. Since Cole was no longer growing, Zane was able to pull some strings at Borg and soon enough, he was laying on the operating table and ready for the first round of tech upgrades available to the public.

"Sorry," Kai mumbled. He declined the call. Cole saw a name flash briefly on the screen:  _Nya_.

Curiosity kicked down the wall between them. "Is everything okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, everything's fine. My sister's just being annoying."

"Oh. Why?"

"She's two years younger than me but she acts like my mom sometimes," Kai replied. "It doesn't matter. What do you want to do?"

"I've never really been in this area before," Cole said. "You live around here, right? What do you usually do with your friends?"

"You're a history nerd that owns a flower shop. I don't think you're up for what I do with my friends."

Cole laughed. "Oh, I'm  _sure_ I can handle whatever you throw at me."

"Fine. Follow me, then."

They travelled several blocks on foot. Kai turned off one of the big streets and onto a little side street, and then a smaller alley, and then another, and then another, until Cole felt officially lost. Kai kept going, hand trailing behind on the metal sides of the buildings. He knew this place, knew it well. With a different person, Cole would have turned back and refused to continue into the unknown. But this was Kai—a different Kai, but someone he trusted nonetheless.

"We're here," Kai announced. Cole followed his gaze to a sewer cap in the ground.

He pointed to the cap. "Is that where we're going?"

Kai nodded and walked forward. The sewer cap wasn't grated, but flat, heavy metal. If Cole looked closely, he could see a faint design in the metal, most likely eroded after several years.

A snake.

"You like history, don't tell me you've never heard of the Serpentine tomb beneath the city," Kai said as he dug his fingers under the metal and then began to lift. He lifted the cap a few inches, but made no further progress. He dropped it and a loud sound echoed in the alleyway. "Ugh. Sorry, I usually have more people with me when I go here. The lid's really heavy. Want to give me a hand?"

This was bad news. The tombs were guarded to stop the destruction of artifacts. Nindroids were set on patrol down there. Cameras were mounted on every wall, tucked away in every corner. If they were caught, they'd be arrested. No warning granted.

"Are you sure this is the best idea?"

"It's fine. I do it all the time. They tell us it's high security, but there's usually only one nindroid and a bunch of cameras down there. If you hide your face with sunglasses or a bandana, they won't catch you. DNA tests only work if you're in the system, and guess who isn't? Me. You've never been arrested, right?"

"No, I haven't," Cole said.

"Good." Kai reached into his pocket and pulled out a red bandana. "You got anything for your face?"

Cole pulled his mask from his pocket and showed it to Kai. "Yeah, I've got something."

"Put it on," Kai instructed. "There's nothing in this alley, but a camera faces up the passage down there."

Cole did as he was told. His faceguard fit comfortably over the bridge of his nose. "Okay, I'm ready."

"Come here and help me lift." Cole kneeled down next to Kai, and on the count of three, they lifted the cap together. Cole only used a fraction of his strength, making sure he looked like he was struggling with the cap's weight. When they were done, they pushed the cap to the side and looked down into the hole. A small, red light shone in the darkness. Kai was right, there was a camera looking up at them.

"You still think you can take it?" Kai asked. Cole rolled his eyes.

"Just because I own a flower shop doesn't mean I never participated in teenage rebellion," he said. Did running away from home count as teenage rebellion? He wasn't sure.

"All right. The ladder isn't safe at the bottom, so just jump in and you'll be fine," Kai said. "Be quiet when we get down there, okay? Whispering only. And close the lid on your way down. Let's go!"

Kai jumped into the hole and Cole heard him land a few seconds later. Kai called out to him quietly to tell him he was fine and out of the way so Cole could come down, too.

Cole dropped into the hole slowly, pulling the sewer cap with him so it would slide into place before he took the plunge. The fall was longer than expected, and upon hitting the ground, he rolled a few times before coming to a stop. The ground was dry beneath his fingertips. He felt around for the wall, but found nothing.

A bright light illuminated the tunnel. Cole turned around to see Kai holding up his phone, its flashlight turned on maximum brightness. "You have biotech, right? Do me a favor and turn on your night vision. Nindroids may have night vision, but they won't catch us if we're sneaky and using a real flashlight is a dead giveaway."

"Are all your friends over 25? How do they have biotech?"

Kai laughed quietly. "Yeah, like you're 25 yourself. Some of my friends got theirs done in some of those underground places, just like you did. I would get it myself, but Nya would kill me. She's already on my ass about everything else, I don't need her freaking out about potential brain damage, too. Now come on and hold my hand and I'll tell you where to go."

Cole activated his night vision. His surroundings came into vision, illuminated in non-existent pale green light. The tunnel was short but wide, and seemingly stretched on for a long while. He reached out and grabbed Kai's hand in his, then turned back to face the wall. There were two directions. "How are you supposed to know where to go if you can't see?"

"I've been to this place enough to know the way. Face the wall opposite of the ladder and go left."

Cole did as he was told. There were drawings on the walls, images of snakes and humans fighting. There was the occasional drawing of six figures, reach red, blue, black, white, green, and magenta respectively. There was some graffiti too, but most of it was nonsensical. Apparently, other people had made their way down there aside from Kai's gang of friends.

Eventually, they reached a fork in the tunnel.

"We're at a fork. Which way do I go?"

"Go right."

For the next few tunnels, Cole reported to Kai when they reached another fork and Kai would instruct him on which way to turn. As they went deeper and deeper, Cole felt his heartbeat accelerate. He'd never been one to break the law and the threat of being caught was releasing adrenaline into his system. This feel of adrenaline was . . . exciting, not terrifying like he was used to. He could understand why Kai had always been such an adrenaline junkie.

Cole turned a corner and found himself staring straight at the grand doors to the old Serpentine tomb where Skales and the others had inhabited so long ago. He stopped in his tracks, memories flooding his mind and pulling his attention away from reaching their destination.

He'd fought the Serpentine once. They were his enemies, but then they became his allies. They warned him and the other ninja of a dangerous threat on the horizon. For that, both Ninjago and himself owed them a great deal.

"Why'd you stop? If the nindroid isn't there, keep going. Nothing's alive in here aside from us, I promise. I've been in the actual tomb tons of times."

Right. They were once his allies, and now they were gone. Dead.

Kai shoved Cole from behind and Cole continued towards the doors. Once there, he looked over his shoulder at Kai. "The doors are sealed shut. How are we supposed to get inside?"

"On the right wall there's a small crawlspace we can go through. They don't station nindroids inside so once we're through, we're home-free."

The crawlspace was located between the door and the right wall, dug out of the rock that remained from the original tomb. The tomb was a historical artifact, so it had yet to be transformed into indestructible metal like most of Ninjago City. Cole kneeled down and leaned low, looking inside. It was a direct path into the tomb, maybe ten feet long. There were cracks in the ceiling and walls of the small tunnel. It was falling apart.

"Have you never seen these cracks? The thing's about to crumble," Cole said.

"Who cares? Just go and hope it doesn't crash on you."

Cole sighed and let go of Kai's hand. He twisted around so he would enter the crawlspace feet-first. He took Kai's hand in his again. "I'm going in backwards. Follow my lead."

As Cole went through, he kept his other hand on the wall of the tunnel, crawling backwards by pushing on his elbows and knees. His hand on the wall channeled his Earth abilities, willing the tunnel to to hold itself together as they crawled through. When he reached the end, he sat back and pulled Kai through the rest of the way.

"Turn off your night vision, I'm turning on my flashlight."

Cole turned it off. His surroundings became pitch black, then Kai turned on his phone's flashlight, shining it around the tomb. Cole followed the light with his eyes, comparing the illuminated parts of the large cavern to what it looked like in his memory. The bioluminescent rocks no longer shone, and the small river running through the center of the cavern was dry. The tomb was dead, lifeless.

The same shiver from before returned to his spine. This felt wrong. He didn't want to stay here anymore. "Kai, I think we should—" he began to say.

The heavy guitar of Kai's ringtone interrupted him. Kai held his phone close to his face, the screen's light revealing a frown and narrowed eyes. "Will you stop?" Kai demanded out loud, then declined the call. The tomb fell back into silence.

"Was that your sister again?"

He looked back to Cole. "Yeah, it was Nya. Do you see why I find her annoying now? She won't leave me alone."

"What if it's an emergency?"

"If it were an emergency, she'd call twice in a row and text me. We have a system set up," Kai said. "She's just pissed at me. She always is. You know, I'll come back home after hanging out with my friends or whatever, and I walk through the door and it's like, 'Where were you? You should have been working on this or studying for that!'. We can barely have normal conversations anymore—everything just turns into a lecture or whatever."

"Why is she mad at you today? Are you  _supposed_ to be studying for something?"

Kai's laughter was sharp. "No, no. She's just mad because I'm going out during my final exam period even though I've got nothing on. She just takes things too seriously, you know?"

"My dad was a pretty serious guy. I get it," Cole said. "But I thought you two were like, best friends. What happened?"

"We  _used_  be best friends," Kai corrected. "We did everything together. My friends always made fun of me for hanging out with my little sister, but I guess I never really had much of a choice in the first place. Our parents are never really around that much. As soon as I was old enough to be left alone with Nya for a few hours, they started leaving for weeks at a time. I barely see them anymore. I wound up taking care of Nya; helping her with homework, sitting through her lessons at the dojo, and whatever else my parents were supposed to do but never did.

"A couple years ago, she got into a motorcycle accident and messed up her knee. She got surgery for it, but we waited too long and there was some permanent damage. She used to do martial arts with me, but she fell behind and then couldn't compete anymore so she gave up completely. I don't really know what happened after that—she started to care about her grades, enough so that getting anything other than a perfect score was like a fail to her. Now, she gets mad at me for not putting in the same effort as her. It's like she cares too much and thinks I don't care enough. I miss the times when we got along. It was never easy, but I liked it a whole lot better than whatever is going on now."

 **zjfalcon  
** Are you still with Kai?

 **zjfalcon  
** It says you are online. Please don't ignore me, I just heard some alarming news from Nya.

Kai groaned. "Ugh, why am I even telling you any of this? I don't tell my friends anything!"

"It's okay, dude. I'm all ears," Cole said. Kai's homelife was so similar yet so different at once, he couldn't quite wrap his head around it. He didn't know what to say.

"Okay. Do you want to know what my problem is? My problem is that Nya is always chewing me out and telling me to think about my future. What future?" The flashlight bounced on the walls as Kai gestured frantically. "More school? Working until I die? How am I supposed to bring myself to care when that's all there is waiting for me?"

 **zjfalcon  
** Sent exam_sched.png

**zjfalcon  
** As we speak, Kai is missing his science theory final. This exam is worth 50% of his overall grade, and given his already low grades in the subject, means he will fail science this year. Passing this course is mandatory for receiving a high school diploma.

"You're only twenty-one; tell me about  _one_ meaningful thing you've done.  _One time where you actually did something to help people_."

"I . . ." Cole wanted to answer, but he couldn't. Not without giving away his secret.

"Sorry, that was mean. But do you understand where I'm coming from? The idea of doing nothing, of being nothing—I don't think I could handle that," Kai said. "I can't just  _live_ , you know? What's the point of existing if I'm never going to do anything?"

 **zjfalcon  
** If you don't understand, Kai will not be graduating anytime soon because he elected to skip his science final.

 **zjfalcon  
** Please answer. Nya has been trying to reach him all day but he has yet to answer his phone.

"That's a pretty loaded question," Cole replied. "What do you think you're going to do? What do you  _want_ to do?"

"I don't know. I guess I'm just trying to figure that out."

"Uh-huh. Does part of this 'figuring out' process include skipping your science exam?"

Kai looked him dead in the eyes. When Kai used to get angry, Cole could have sworn that he could see flames flickering in his eyes. He'd assumed it was an Elemental quirk, like when Jay shocked himself during bad dreams and woke up with a scream in the dead of night. But maybe he was wrong. He swore he could see it now. Fire danced in Kai's narrowed eyes, twisting and bending as his feelings of betrayal manifested themselves into anger, into a refusal to accept what was happening to him.

There was a reason nobody ever liked to upset Kai.

"Have you been talking to her this whole time?"

_Her._

Nya.

"No, I haven't. I swear."

Kai didn't look over his shoulder as he backed away, moving towards the crawlspace in the wall. He pointed an accusatory finger at Cole. "Fuck you, yes you have! How else would you know? Do you think I'm  _that_ stupid?"

"No, I don't. I was talking to Zane, okay? My nindroid friend that knows Nya? She was having him relay messages to me."

"Yeah, like that makes it so much better. Nice to know there's a whole chain of people getting involved in my shit, now!" Kai said. "I only met you a month ago. You're not my best fucking friend, okay? Stay in your lane."

Cole swallowed, unable to think of a way to make it better without making it worse. When Kai was angry back when they were ninja, everyone would step back and let him have the training deck to himself to blow off steam. No one—not even Nya—knew words that could calm down a Master of Fire. Cole was starting to think that maybe, none existed in the first place.

Kai reached the wall. He looked at the crawlspace and then back at Cole. "Are you coming?"

Cole blinked in surprise. "What?"

"I'm not an asshole, I won't leave you behind if you don't know how to get out of here. But don't talk to me. Just follow my lead."

Kai kept his flashlight on as he ducked down and pulled himself through the tunnel. Cole chased after him, sliding into the crawlspace and crawling the rest of the way through. Kai was waiting for him on the other side, back to him. His flashlight was still on, casting bright light all over the tunnel.

Confident that Kai wasn't watching him, Cole turned around and placed his hand on the rock wall next to the crawlspace. He closed his eyes and concentrated, using his connection with earth to create a mental map of his surroundings. He located the crawlspace and pushed down on the wall harder.

A loud crash echoed throughout the tunnels. He heard Kai swear and pulled away from the wall, looking at the crawlspace to observe his work. The ceiling was caved in, blocking the only entrance into the tomb.

No one would trespass there ever again.

"Holy shit," Kai muttered as he stared at the collapsed entrance. "That was close."

"Yeah. Let's get going."

Kai led the way, his phone's flashlight bobbing up and down with each step he took. Cole was careful as they walked, taking quiet steps and looking over his shoulder every five seconds, just as he'd been trained to do in situations like this. The patrolling nindroid was still out there, even if they'd yet to see it.

 **flintcole  
** Sorry for not getting back to you. I don't know if there's anything I can do about it, though. He's already missed it.

 **zjfalcon  
** Unfortunately, you're correct. Nya has asked me to tell you that she wants him to go home so she may talk to him when she's finished here today.

 **flintcole  
** Okay, sure. I'll bring it up to him when we don't have to be quiet anymore.

 **zjfalcon  
** Quiet? Where are you?

 **flintcole  
** Seeing a movie. You know the one about the dog? It's cute, but I wouldn't see it twice. It's ending soon so I'll get back to you when we leave.

 **zjfalcon  
** Are you texting during the movie? Don't be a Tommy Texter!

 **flintcole  
** I hate you :')

As they walked, his stomach grew heavy. He couldn't have messed this up with Kai during their first time together. They hadn't always gotten along when they were ninja, but they were still friends. They trusted each other, depended on each other in the field. The bonds Cole had with the members of his team were stronger than those of any other relationship he'd ever had, forged by facing death and making it out alive over and over again. Maybe in a world where they weren't ninja, he and Kai weren't meant to be good friends. If they went to school together, would they have ever spoken to each other? Would they hate being lab partners, working in group projects together?

It didn't matter. He would make this work. He didn't want this to be the last time he saw Kai—present or past—ever again.

" **HALT. STOP WALKING AND STAND STILL IMMEDIATELY. YOU ARE TRESPASSING."**

Cole spun on his heel. He'd forgotten to check over his shoulder.

"Aw, fuck," said Kai from behind.

The harsh, blue light of the nindroid's eyes blinded him. He rubbed his eyes and looked off the side, keeping an eye on the approaching figure with his peripheral vision. Okay. They had ten more seconds until it reached them.

" **DO NOT ACTIVATE NIGHT VISION OR ANY OTHER SENSORY AUGMENTATIONS. I WILL KNOW IF YOU DO."**

"Turn off your flashlight," Cole whispered, raising his hands above his head. Up, and up, and up, feigning surrender until his fingertips touched the ceiling of the short tunnel. The mental image of the tunnels came back as his surroundings were plunged into darkness, the nindroid's eyes the only source of light. Soon, they would have to turn left, continue straight, and then turn left again. They were not too far from the exit. This was doable.

He pushed up again. A tiny piece of a ceiling fell down to the floor a few meters behind the nindroid, echoing loud enough that it turned around. Cole turned on the ball of his foot and grabbed Kai's arm as he sprinted past, pulling him along.

Kai wasn't as fast as his past-self was, and Cole could feel it slowing them down. When they turned the first corner, Cole stopped and kneeled.

"Get on my back."

"What? Like, a piggy-back ride? I'm too heavy, we aren't going to go any faster."

"I'm stronger than you think. Do you trust me? Get on my back or it'll catch us."

Kai finally conceded, jumping on his back and wrapping his arms around his neck and legs around his torso. Cole took off again, running alongside the wall so his fingers could graze the wall as they passed and maintain the mental map. Another turn in a few more seconds.

" **EVADING ARREST WILL LEAVE YOU SUBJECT TO MORE CHARGES. I HAVE NIGHT VISION. YOU DO NOT. THIS IS NOT THE LOGICAL CHOICE OF ACTION FOR EITHER OF YOU."**

"Shit, shit, shit, hurry!"

Cole turned again, pounding down the pavement until he was at the ladder, ready to climb up. "Turn on the flashlight, you need to see now."

Kai turned on the flashlight and shone it on the bottom of the ladder, revealing broken rungs. "Remember how I said the bottom of the ladder is unsafe? I need to get off your back so you can boost me up, I'm too short to make the jump. You're tall, can you jump up and grab one of the higher rungs on your own?"

"Stay on my back. If I can jump by myself, I can jump with you on me. The hole is wide enough for the both of us. Hang on tight."

It had been many, many years since he'd last performed airjitzu. It had taken him the longest to master out of his friends, and even several years after the race to the peak of the Wailing Alps, he could feel the air falter and threaten to fall apart beneath him. He concentrated on feeling the gravity around him, staring at the rung he was aiming for. He felt the air around him grow heavier, as though it were forming a shape around him. For long distances, airjitzu required a spin to keep the air moving, but just a jump would do for now.

He jumped as high as he could. The air pushed him up, giving him the boost he needed to grab onto the rung and then pull himself and Kai up onto the safe portion of the ladder. For a brief moment, he closed his eyes and thanked the air for cooperating with him today. It wasn't always his friend in situations when he needed it most.

"Did you feel that draft? The lid is closed. Do you think there's another entrance somewhere?"

"Probably. I'm sure the Serpentine had many ways to get in and out of this place."

Cole reached forward to push the cap.

A small, red dot shone on the back of his hand.

" **STOP. I HAVE BEEN AUTHORIZED TO USE SEDATIVE ROUNDS SO YOU MAY BE APPREHENDED. CLIMB DOWN FROM THE LADDER OR BE SHOT DOWN."**

"I have an idea," Kai whispered. "Get ready to push the lid off."

The beam of Kai's flashlight pointed away from the cap, and Cole followed it with his eyes until it pointed directly at the nindroid. The nindroid's night vision was still activated, so it would be the temporarily blinded for the next few seconds. The red light disappeared from Cole's hand. He understood that was his cue to take action.

Using his real strength, Cole pushed the cap off in one push and sent it skidding a few feet away from the hole. Kai still on his back, he climbed out swiftly and pulled himself out of the hole just as he heard a shot ring out. He stood up, kicked the cap back into place, and ran away from the alley. He travelled deeper and deeper into the maze of alleyways, only stopping when he felt it was safe.

Kai slid off his back. Cole turned around to face him, mouth open to ask where to go. He was lost, he had no idea how to get to a main street from here. But then Kai started to laugh.

It sounded hysterical. Kai placed a hand on Cole's shoulder and doubled over, body shaking as he sucked in breaths between fits of laughter. "Holy fucking shit," Kai breathed. "We made it."

Cole had seen this kind of laughter before, back when they had just started their missions and there was a certain type of fun to be found in the life-threatening danger they faced every other day. It was the laughter they shared after escaping the enemy, after coming out of a mission alive even if the odds were stacked against them. It was the pure, unimaginable ecstasy of facing death and surviving anyways.

Over time, this laughter died out. Zane died and suddenly, the dangerous missions weren't so fun because they didn't feel invincible anymore. Cole could remember the change, how his confidence before missions dwindled and Nya's call for action over the Bounty's intercom created a storm of dread in his body.

Cole felt something bubble up inside of him and then he started laughing, too. Kai leaned on him more, and more, and more, until Cole felt like he was holding his whole body weight. He moved to push Kai's hand off his shoulder so they could leave, but touched something wet and sticky when he did. Cole pulled his hand back and found himself staring at smeared blood.

He looked at Kai's hand. There was a tiny puncture in his skin, right in one of the blue veins travelling across the top of his hand. Oh, no.

"Kai, are you okay?"

Kai's laugh was airy, like he couldn't put enough force into it. "Yeah, dude, I'm good. Stupid 'bot shot me, though."

"With the sedative rounds? The ones that make you all loopy and eventually pass out?"

"Is that what sedative means? Huh." Kai sagged in his grip.

Cole groaned. "Okay, I  _cannot_ take you home on public transportation if you're acting like this. Does Nya have a car?"

"Nah. And she doesn't like her moto—motor—motorcycle anymore. You should see it in the garage, man. It's all covered in fairy dust."

"Fairy dust?"

"Maybe just regular dust. I don't know."

Cole groaned again, this time louder as he pulled up Zane's contact. The closest movie theatre was several blocks away, so he would have to admit to lying about where was. Zane was programmed to follow the law like it was his own code of ethics, but he could be forgiving at times. Trespassing wasn't exactly the most heinous of crimes for a teenager to commit, anyways. Even if the other person with him was thousands of years-old.

" _Hello?"_ came Zane's voice when he picked up. " _Is everything all right?"_

Cole winced. "Uh, not really. We're in a bit of a situation here."

" _Please elaborate."_

"I may have, uh . . . lied to you about what we were doing."

" _I know."_

"What?"

" _That dog movie does not premiere for another week, Cole. I greatly enjoy animal movies. I would know. However, this is beside the point. What happened?"_

"Well, I let Kai choose what to do and we wound up in the Serpentine tomb beneath the city. The nindroid caught us and shot Kai with a sedative round. He's really out of it, so I was wondering if you could pick us up?"

Zane's words dripped with disappointment. " _I suppose I could. Where are you?"_

"Somewhere downtown. I'll find the closest main street you can drive on."

" _Let me know when you arrive."_

The call ended. Kai was now leaning on Cole completely, eyes glazed over as he stared at nothing. Cole slapped his cheek. "You still there?"

"Where else would I be?" Kai mumbled. He sounded sleepy.

"Can you walk?"

"Yeah man, I learned how to do that  _years_ ago," Kai said. He took a step and Cole had to catch him before he collapsed to the floor. "Now that I think-a it, maybe not."

"This is almost as bad as the time the Venomari got you," Cole muttered. He maneuvered Kai's arm so that it was draped over the back of his shoulders. Cole tucked his own arm beneath Kai's free arm and held onto his side, supporting him so he could stand straight.

"What'd you say?"

"Nothing. Can you hop on one leg for me? It's less suspicious if people think you hurt yourself."

Kai hummed in agreement and shifted his weight onto his right leg. Cole looked around. Okay, now it was time to figure out how to get out of here.

Cole refused to backtrack towards the tunnel entrance, so he continued to delve deeper until he found an alleyway that connected to one of Ninjago City's moderately busy streets. Waiting on the street corner with Kai, Cole sent his location to Zane and waited for his response.

 **zjfalcon  
** I will be there in ten minutes.

 **zjfalcon  
** I updated Nya on the situation. Do not worry, I assured her that you are a good influence and do not usually trespass or break other laws. She says that she looks forward to meeting you.

Ten minutes later on the dot, a silver car pulled to a stop at the edge of the curb. Zane waved at them through the window. Cole practically threw Kai in the backseat and then climbed into the passenger seat, shutting the door behind him. He stared out the window to avoid looking at Zane.

Kai leaned forward, placing his body between the two front seats to get their attention. He pointed to Zane. "Hey, is this your dad?"

Cole brought himself to look at Zane. He laughed at the horrified expression on his face, and after a few moments, Zane laughed, too.

After arguing back and forth with Kai until he fastened his seatbelt—Zane refused to drive if otherwise—they finally left the curb and made their way through the city. PIXAL's voice occasionally spoke through the car's speakers, telling them when to turn as she followed the directions to Kai and Nya's home address.

Kai was knocked out in the backseat when they finally arrived. Cole threw him over his shoulder, memorized the code to the front door given by Zane, and then walked up the short flight of steps to Kai's home.

He lived in a quiet, residential neighbourhood filled with townhouses and duplexes and public parks on every other street corner. It was a few blocks away from the closest main street, so it was cut off from busy traffic during the daytime. Cole inputted the code to the door and nudged the door open with his foot.

Outside, their home looked clean and well-kept. Inside, however, was a different story. Coats and shoes were thrown all over the front hallway, flowers that died a long time ago were still on tables in the halls, and Cole could only imagine what their kitchen must have looked like. He didn't venture that far, instead climbing up their carpeted stairs to find Kai's bedroom. There were three bedrooms, but Kai's bedroom was easy to distinguish from the others. Old stickers decorated the white door, phrases like " _No Girls Allowed"_ and " _Kai's Evil Lair"_ written in angry red and black print. The stickers were peeling. Kai must have had them for a long time, now.

Kai's room was cleaner than expected. His desk was stacked with textbooks, some of which were open. He'd at least done some studying, though probably because Nya forced him to. His bookshelf didn't have many books, instead filled with trophies and framed photos of young children. Kai and some childhood friends. One of the little girls had curly, red hair, reminding him of Skylor from so many years ago. Was she back, too?

Cole stopped snooping around Kai's room and finally put his unconscious friend to bed. He pulled the blankets over Kai's shoulders for good measure, then closed the door behind him. He left the house and typed in the code again to lock the door. Zane was still in his car, but his voice could be heard as he talked to someone through the car window. As Cole got closer, he saw who he was talking to: a teenage girl in a leather jacket, and straight, black hair cut at the shoulders. Cole nearly tripped over his feet.

It was Nya.

She glanced up at him and waved him over. She said something to Zane and then walked around to the back of the car, where she waited until Cole built up the courage to approach her.

She smiled and shook his hand. "Nice to meet you. I'm Nya, Kai's sister."

Cole swallowed. "I'm Cole."

"Oh, I know. Don't tell him I said this, but Kai talks about you a lot. He was really excited to hang out with you. I just didn't expect it to happen today," she said with a laugh.

"Yeah, sorry about that. I had no idea," Cole said.

"Ah, it's all right. How were you supposed to know?" she said. "Between you and me, I don't think he was going to pass that exam in the first place. Science isn't really his strong suit. Honestly, I'm just glad he got home safe. Thanks for not just ditching him on the sidewalk, or something.  _Then_ I would have a problem with you."

"Hey, what kind of friend would I be if I didn't help him escape from the cops?"

"Probably like his other friends. They're not very supportive." She looked over Cole's shoulder at their house, then back to him. "I got to leave early by claiming a family emergency, so I should probably go inside. But hey, feel free to come over anytime. I think having a friend that has his shit together will be good for him."

They said goodbye and then Cole and Zane were driving away, Cole filling him in on everything Kai had told him back in the tomb. Zane narrowed his eyes as he stared at the road.

"Do you remember when we time travelled?"

"When we kidnapped Nya?"

"Yes. If I remember correctly, Kai had no interest in becoming a ninja unless Nya was put in danger," he said. "I find it interesting that he has this drive now. Maybe there is more to all this than we initially thought."

"What do you mean?"

"It is easy to conclude that they have been reincarnated in some way. They look the same, sound the same, and have the same base personalities. Kai and Nya's childhood has been altered slightly, but remains the same at the core. Nya is an intern in security at Borg, and she confided in me that she chose this career because she wants to make Ninjago City a safer place. Do you find this as interesting as I do?"

"I'm sorry. What are you getting at here?"

"I'm saying that they both have the same drive they had to protect people not before they became ninja, but after they became ninja. What if they have retained their 'ninja' mindset?" Zane said. "When your father forced you to become a dancer, why did you quit?"

"Uh, I quit because I didn't feel like it was right for me. It wasn't what I wanted to be when I was older."

"Exactly. So what if Kai struggles because the  _one thing_ he wants to be is the only thing he can't be?" Zane pulled onto Cole's street and parked next to his building. "I do believe they have been reincarnated. But I do not believe they were given a 'blank slate', so to speak. I believe they are the same people they were when they died. What they lack now is the opportunity to help people by being ninja. Do you understand what I mean?"

"Huh. I'd never thought about that."

"That's okay, you do not have my processing power." Zane smiled. "If you notice anything else, feel free to 'hit me up' as you like to say."

"That was a thing  _three thousand years ago_. I'm getting out of this car right now. Bye, dad!" Cole pushed open the door and stepped out. He slammed the door.

He heard the window roll down. "I thought I was your mother!"

Kai was inactive on all social media for the next three weeks. Choosing to be patient, Cole busied himself by redecorating his flower shop and then bickering with his employees when they told him it looked ugly. When he could no longer re-arrange flowers and vases, he got in contact with Zane to see what Nya was up to. Zane told him to be patient, and that he would let him know if something new came up.

Boredom started to become a problem. Sitting in his office and doing nothing was making him itch with the urge to get out and do something. Stupid Kai and his stupid rant about doing nothing, making him conscious about wasting time.

It made him wonder when  _was_ the last time he'd donned his ninja robes and fought evil with Zane. A few lifetimes at least, maybe five. The big bads just didn't pop up as much anymore.

Hmm. He hadn't looked forward to fight in a really, really long time.

This was an interesting feeling.

Three weeks after the tomb, Kai messaged him.

 **kai_fire13  
** yo just thought id let you know im alive

 **kai_fire13  
** hows it going flint?

 **flintcole  
** I'm bored.

 **flintcole  
** How were exams?

 **kai_fire13  
** uh just got my results back yesterday

 **kai_fire13  
** i failed science theory obvi but didnt fail the lab so theres that

 **kai_fire13  
** haha funny story there were a couple questions on my history exam about the ninja

 **kai_fire13  
** i got them right bc i knew their colors and how many of them there were

 **kai_fire13  
** thanks for that btw i passed by like 2%

 **kai_fire13  
** i passed everything other than math tho

 **kai_fire13  
** nya is such a fkn nonbeliever im telling ya

 **flintcole  
** So, are you doing summer school or something for the stuff you failed?

 **kai_fire13  
** guess i kinda have to ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

 **flintcole  
** Okay. I have a serious question.

 **kai_fire13  
** hit me

 **flintcole  
** When is your next lesson at your dojo?

 **kai_fire13  
** are you gonna come watch? lmao dude trust me its boring if youre spectating

 **flintcole  
** No, I don't want to watch. I want to join you.

 **kai_fire13  
** DUDE

 **kai_fire13  
** i know youre like fast and strong and all that but my class is wayyyyyyyy too advanced for a beginner like you

 **kai_fire13  
** your ass would get demolished

 **kai_fire13  
** maybe by me maybe by my coach

 **kai_fire13  
** idk by who but it would happen okay

 **flintcole  
** What if I challenge you to a fight?

 **kai_fire13  
** oooooooh man youve done it

 **kai_fire13  
** youre in for it now dude

 **kai_fire13  
** sending you the address asap

 **kai_fire13  
** meet me there tuesday at 20:30

Kai's dojo was located in the heart of downtown. Cole was impressed by its size, yet its most impressive feature was the amount of ribbons, trophies, and plaques displayed in their windows. Most of their competitors had won nationals every year for the past decade, and they prided themselves on being the best. When Cole arrived, Kai brought him to a private practice area separated by a curtain and laid down the rules. No attacking the head, no moves that could theoretically hurt someone, and first to knock the other onto the mat three times was the victor.

All three matches ended with Kai on his back. Kai stared at him incredulously, one word breaking the silence.

"How?"

"I was trained by a guy who studied the ninja," Cole explained. "There aren't any good videos around anymore, but there are old reports of their activities. They used a unique fighting style, one designed to counter, not attack. It was ideal for fighting new types of people every few years."

"Can you teach me?"

"Teach you?"

"Yeah. Or at least introduce me to this guy you know."

"You don't need it. Why would you learn it if you don't need it?"

"What, and you do? Don't be a hypocrite."

"I didn't have much of a choice in the matter."

"Unless you're about to dump your tragic backstory on me right now, I don't see why I can't learn it. Hear me out: every year since I was ten, I've lost nationals to the same person. If you teach me this ninja stuff, I can win. I can be the strongest fighter in my age group  _in the whole country_."

"Where would we practice? We can't do it here."

"My basement. Nya and I used to practice down there all the time."

Cole paused to think. He could trust Kai not to use it for the wrong purposes. It certainly wouldn't do the world any harm to have another trained ninja.

Not that Cole would ever let him near a real fight. It was too risky.

"Fine. But just know that I'm a pretty strict teacher. No one I train with likes me for very long."

"You think I could get this far if I couldn't handle a strict teacher? When do we start?"

"When are nationals?"

"A month away."

"We start tomorrow. You have a lot to learn."

Cole neglected to tell Zane about his new partnership with Kai. Kai promised that Nya wouldn't care, but chose to keep it a secret so she wouldn't accidentally spill the beans to Zane. He forwarded Cole his summer schedule, circling the times he was free in red. His classes were only in the afternoon, making him available and Nya-free from eight in the morning until noon. Four hours a day was good enough to get down most of what he needed by the time nationals rolled around.

Cole updated his employees to tell them that he would be busy every morning for the next month and they could call him if something was wrong. He arrived at Kai's house at eight AM the next day, unlocked the door with the code, and shook Kai awake when he didn't respond to his name being called from the front hall. Kai complained all the way through a quick breakfast and getting changed, claiming it was too early to be awake during the summer. Cole disagreed and then forced him to push all the furniture against the walls until they had a flat, used carpet to practice on.

The first session was spent teaching Kai the basics of blocking. Cole taught him not to anticipate his enemy's attacks, but to react to them on time. To make things interesting, Cole ended the session with another spar, allowing Kai to practice what he'd learned on a real, moving target.

Cole still won. But he could see improvement.

By the end of the first week, Kai was blocking Cole's attacks and landing hits and when Cole met up with Zane for lunch, he was forced to wear a long-sleeve shirt to hide his bruises. Zane didn't inquire into his odd choice of summer apparel, but sent a few strange glances his way that Cole pretended not to notice.

The second week went just as smoothly. On Friday, Kai forgot to take his phone out of his back pocket and landed on it, shattering its screen. When he told Nya, she used her internship to get him a free version of the latest model and made him promise up and down not to "trip on the stairs" while holding it ever again. Kai laughed about it over their messages, saying he should break things more often if he was going to be rewarded for it.

The following Monday, Kai wandered into Cole's flower shop with a laptop and sat down in his office. He explained that his courses were online, so it didn't matter where he was so long as he was logged into the virtual classroom. Cole accused him of only being there to use his bandwidth, to which Kai shrugged, mumbling something about watching too many videos and not wanting to pay a fee if he wanted to continue.

They found themselves spending entire days together. The mornings were spent training and the afternoons were spent in the flower shop, Kai lounging around in the office while Cole did whatever he had to do that day. Sometimes, Kai asked him a question about homework and Cole would frown, try to remember, and then excuse his ignorance by saying he attended performing arts school and couldn't help him with science or math.

That bit of knowledge really threw Kai for a loop.

"You were a  _dancer_?"

"Yep. Nya thinks I'm a good influence, so don't tell her this bit: I quit."

"Quit dancing?"

"I quit  _school_. Ran away and didn't look back for more than a year."

Kai bit the inside of his cheek, looking thoughtful. "Oh."

On the Thursday of the third week, Nya came home early when she forgot her laptop and snuck downstairs because she heard them practicing and feared there were burglars in her house. She found Cole in the middle of throwing a punch at Kai, yelled in surprise, and distracted Kai enough that Cole's fist connected with Kai's right cheek and knocked him into the table next to the wall.

Kai was back up in an instant, throwing himself between Cole and Nya before she could jump to her brother's defense.

"It's not what it looks like," Kai said, arms spread out as though he were protecting Cole from Nya's wrath.

"Not what it looks like? What is it  _supposed_ to look like? He punched you into the freaking wall!"

"He's teaching me how to fight."

"What? Don't you already know how to do that? What is he teaching you that you don't already know? How to defend yourself from our now-broken coffee table?"

Cole glanced at the table Kai'd crashed into. The two front legs were broken, facing in and putting the tabletop on an angle. Whoops.

"He's better than I am, okay? He's helping me train so I can finally win nationals."

She gasped. "Wait, is this why you broke your phone?"

"Uh, maybe?"

"I hate both of you," she hissed. She pointed at Kai. "You are  _so_ lucky I'm in a rush and have to leave." She pointed at Cole. "I assume this is supposed to be a secret, so I won't tell Zane. Just make sure my brother wins, okay?"

"He'll win," Cole said. "I promise."

The end of the fourth week—their last week training—was cause for celebration. On the last day, Kai finally gained the upper hand over Cole and knocked him to the floor. Kai cheered and kicked a nearby chair into the wall out of excitement. Cole stood up and laughed when Kai put Nya on speakerphone to tell her what happened, but she couldn't stay on the phone for long so she congratulated him and hung up to go work on something.

The next weekend was the tournament. It was being hosted at a huge sports complex located outside the city, so Cole convinced Zane to come and they all piled into his car and drove out into the country, fighting over the radio until Nya eventually won by pulling an aux cord out of her bag, and the last hour was spent listening to the horrendous mix of genres that was her music library. Zane knew the words to every pop song and Cole switched places with Nya so he could sit in the back with Kai and shred air guitar whenever a song they both knew played over the car's speakers.

Kai tried to call his parents to let them know what he was doing, but all he got was dialtone so he vowed to call them later and brushed off Cole's concerned look by saying he was used to it. Kai found his coach and took off, waving goodbye and promising to meet up with them again so they could go home together. Cole and the others found close seats in the stands and waited for Kai to come on while they watched the other competitors from Kai's division duke it out on the platform.

Cole smiled as he watched them. Kai was going to cream everyone in this tournament.

"Oh! Do you see the girl down there? She's the one that wins every year."

Nya pointed to a girl with familiar red curls and an orange gi.

Cole exchanged a look with Zane.

"What's her name?" Cole asked.

"Skylor. She isn't so bad herself, but her dad's an asshole. He's been mean to Kai ever since they started competing against each other in tournaments."

Another glance with Zane, but this one out of concern. Skylor was one thing. Chen was something else.

Skylor was quick on her feet, dodging attacks until she saw opportunities to strike. Cole hadn't seen much of her during the Tournament of Elements, but knew that mastering an element like amber required flexibility. She was adaptable.

Cole understood why she'd beaten Kai so many years in a row. She fought like a ninja, but most importantly, fought like Nya. Nya, who could take on the green ninja and win during their sparring matches, who could beat every ninja in a fight because she knew how to adjust her style for every opponent even before Wu taught her to.

Skylor was adaptable. But now, so was Kai.

The finals were going to be interesting.

When Kai walked onto the platform, they cheered so loudly that the people sitting in front of them twisted in their seats and shot them annoyed glares. They were even louder when Kai won, slamming his opponent onto the mat in a matter of seconds by using a special technique Cole had taught him. Kai faced them and offered a thumbs-up.

Both Kai and Skylor won every round they fought until finals rolled around in the late afternoon. The competitors that lost sat together on the sidelines, passing what looked to be candy between them until two piles formed on one end. Nya explained that they had a tradition of betting on the final competitors, although usually one pile was bigger than the other since Skylor won without question every year. This time, however, the piles were equal.

"Kai really surprised everyone. I hope he surprises Skylor, too."

The match began and they circled each other, neither attacking yet. Cole saw Skylor's lips move. She was talking to Kai, and he was responding. Skylor laughed at something he said.

How typical of them.

Skylor wound up striking first. Kai blocked and went to counter with a kick, to which she jumped out of the way. When Kai attacked, she dodged but didn't attack back. Cole knew she was gauging him, trying to understand the way he was fighting.

Cole could only hope that Kai would realize this too and attack while he had the upper hand.

Kai managed to land a lucky blow during a tussle, knocking her back a few feet. All of the competitors on the sidelines gasped. She recovered quickly, shifting back into her fighting stance. They were evenly matched, exchanging blows and blocking one another's attacks until the match dragged on for longer than any of the others in the tournament.

But then, like most of Kai's practice sessions, the fight ended with him on his back after Skylor blocked a punch and kicked his legs out from under him. She reached out to him, offering her hand. Kai didn't have a chance to accept it before her father came stomping onto the platform and yanked her back. His voice carried over into the audience as he screamed in her face.

The scene was familiar to Cole, a father yelling at their child for what he deemed to be a mediocre performance. He found himself staring at his feet as a strange weight settled in his core. He hated that even after he'd made up with his dad, even after he'd been dead for thousands of years, he could still feel his eyes staring him down and his disappointed voice ringing in his ears.

His presence was just as imposing—just as suffocating—in death as it had been when he was alive.

They cheered just as loud when Kai won the second place trophy, but Kai didn't look as happy as everyone else was pretending to be. They were all disappointed, not in Kai but in the results. They knew he'd done his best. They just wanted him to finally win.

As they waited for Kai to exit the platform, Cole saw Skylor place a hand on his shoulder and whisper in his ear. When she pulled away, he smiled a little. Cole remembered the picture of the girl with red curls in Kai's room and wondered if there was more history to them than Nya was letting on.

The car ride home wasn't as fun. Nya tried to cheer him up by pointing out that their fight had been equal, telling him that Skylor only won because she was lucky and that he could win next year if he tried his hardest. "She didn't win because she was lucky, she won because she's better than me," Kai muttered in response as he stared out the window. Nya caught Cole's eye in the rearview mirror and shrugged. There really wasn't much she could say to make it better.

Zane dropped off Kai and Nya first, and when he pulled up in front of Cole's building, started talking.

"You taught Kai to fight like that, didn't you?"

"He wanted to learn. I don't know, it just seems like he loses a lot. I wanted him to win something."

Zane frowned. "I understand. But Chen has returned. What if other enemies have returned as well? If Pythor chose to attack, what would stop Kai from wanting to help now that he has the ability to do so? We know he wants to help people. Now he can."

"If he wants to help, there isn't much we can do. What's the issue?"

There was a pause before Zane spoke again.

"I do not wish to see him die again because I failed to keep him safe from a life of danger."

Kai started coming to the flower shop in the morning and staying until the late afternoon. As his exams approached, Cole found himself quizzing him on subjects he didn't know. It reminded Cole of listening to Jay rant from the top bunk, babbling about whatever came to mind late into the night. Sometimes, he talked about robotics and science and Cole would ask questions because he didn't always understand. Jay would always happily explain, detouring the conversation to go into detail about something Cole couldn't wrap his head around.

" _I like talking to you,"_ Jay would say. " _You listen. Other people just wait for their turn to speak."_

Kai wasn't as happy to explain a concept, grumbling as he flipped back to his notes from earlier in the semester to read them out loud. By the time his exams came around, Cole felt like he knew about as much science as Kai did. Something about learning a little made him want to learn more, and he wondered if neglecting to return to school even after all these years was a bad decision.

On the morning of Kai's make-up exams, Cole sent him a few encouraging messages that were read but never responded to. Later in the day, Kai got back to him and said that he thought the exams went okay but wasn't getting his hopes up. Apparently, he had a habit of studying and then failing anyways.

On September 2nd, Kai contacted him over DMs.

 **kai_fire13  
** guess whose exam results just came in the mail

 **flintcole  
** Yours?

 **kai_fire13  
** you know it

 **kai_fire13  
** k so i did pass math but really the mark is nothing to celebrate

 **flintcole  
** Science?

 **kai_fire13  
** 72%

 **kai_fire13  
** B)

Kai never signed up for university, so he couldn't attend any classes until next fall. With nothing to do for a year, he promised both Nya and Cole that he would spend his time training so he could finally beat Skylor at this year's nationals. Two weeks into his gap year, Kai walked into the flower shop with a duffle bag and said he was ready to start his ninja training.

Cole couldn't miss every day of work and didn't want to train at night and disturb Nya while she was sleeping, so he asked where they were going to train if the basement was no longer an option. In response, Kai pulled a single key out of his pocket. His coach trusted him enough to grant him access to the dojo whenever he wanted, so it looked like they were finally going to have a real practice space.

Cole told him used to get to sleeping during the day because they were going to train during a ninja's preferred time of day: nighttime. They practiced from 22:00 until the early hours of the morning, fine tuning what Cole taught him before nationals and developing new skills and techniques to use for next year's tournament. Cole had Zane send him a video of Skylor's fight with Kai, then forwarded it to Kai so they could review it before each practice. He pointed out her adaptability, and during their third session, settled on a game plan with Kai.

"When you go into the match with her, I want you to use your old fighting style to start. She'll get used to being on the defense. When she starts to win, switch over to the ninja style. You can win using the element of surprise."

"Sounds to me like you have a history of planning out battles. You sure you've never coached before?"

"I'm sure."

The first few months were spent building up his speed. Cole wanted Kai to be fast, faster than Skylor and faster than Jay ever was. He trained him to throw punches and kicks that could scare even a Master of Speed, then trained him to block moves just as fast. By the time Day of the Departed rolled around, Kai was moving as fast as he had back in the ninja days. The next step was building up his power.

Day of the Departed was weird this year. It was usually spent watching old videos with Zane and laughing over Jay's running commentary as he made stupid vlogs about their daily lives, and then settling down to watch horror movies and get sick on candy until Cole passed out on Zane's couch and awoke with a disgusting taste in his mouth after eating chocolate and candy before sleeping. This year, they both had trouble watching the videos. It felt a little strange to honour people that weren't quite-so-dead anymore.

Cole still got sick on candy, though. Some traditions were never meant to die.

It never snowed in Ninjago City, even during winter, and Kai confessed that he'd never actually touched snow in person. Cole knew that Kai had always preferred warm weather, but now he was no longer afraid of water so maybe this had changed, too. Cole convinced Zane to drive them and Nya far into the countryside so they could make snow angels and have a snowball fight so competitive that Zane only won by using his ice powers to manipulate the snow around him. Cole couldn't accuse him of cheating in front of Kai and Nya, so he silently seethed in the car all the way home and yelled at him over messages later.

 **zjfalcon  
** I did nothing of the sort. :)

Spring came around and sunshowers took over their lives, everyone wearing raincoats even in the warm weather because getting rained on was a chance no matter what the forecasts said. Kai could now beat Cole in half their fights, and although the change was slow, Kai was turning into the fighter he used to be. He was quick and smart and if he didn't beat Skylor, Cole would be genuinely surprised.

Kai chose to hang out with Cole on his actual birthday, and along with Zane and Nya, they went to Mega Monster Amusement Park despite the rain and then ate at Kai's favorite restaurant for dinner. Kai pulled out his phone every few minutes like he was expecting something important, checking his messages even though the counter was still at zero. When nothing happened by the end of dinner, Kai turned off his phone and gave it to Nya, telling her to hold onto it until the next morning.

They opened presents at Kai and Nya's house because Cole's gift, in particular, wasn't something that could be opened in public. The present came in a long black case, and Kai jokingly asked if he'd been gifted a guitar before he unlatched the case and opened it up.

The excited grin on Kai's face after receiving an authentic katana was something Cole would never forget. Nya gave him a look that said  _why would you buy this for him, he's actually going to hurt himself and it's going to be your fault_  but slapped Kai on the back and told him he should learn how to use it anyways.

The next day, Kai canceled training so he could celebrate his birthday with his high school friends. Cole took the night off, glad to finally have some alone time. At three in the morning, he awoke to fifty new messages after he'd forgotten to turn on 'night mode' before falling asleep.

 **kai_fire13  
** fpweojim so opfcked uprn

 **kai_fire13  
** raaaaaaaojf

 **kai_fire13  
** whywont theymmmmm cal

 **kai_fire13  
** i dont even know where they are

 **kai_fire13  
** irifjfow

 **kai_fire13  
** ttytytytyyifoerh

Cole rubbed his eyes and forced himself to feel awake enough to answer.

 **flintcole  
** Are you lost? Please don't tell me your friends ditched you after hanging out on train tracks or whatever it is you guys do.

 **kai_fire13  
** nonononoonnonono

 **kai_fire13  
** nonot ewthqose assholes

 **kai_fire13  
** the,,, otwefher ones

 **flintcole  
** What? What are you talking about?

There was no answer. A few hours later, Cole gave in to paranoia and contacted Nya to ask if she had any idea where Kai was. She sounded tired over the phone as she told him that Kai had come home and passed out after a night of partying with his friends.

" _I'd hoped that he was done with them. Just between you and me, I've always hated them. Friends are supposed to be nice to each other, right? All they do is make fun of each other and force each other to follow through on dangerous dares. Like, I get it. Teenagers are supposed to be mean and stupid. But do you know what they did last night? They got super drunk and tried to get Kai to let them into the dojo so they could trash the place. Thankfully he'd left the key here, so he couldn't really do anything, but then they wanted to break in, and they gave Kai a lot of shit for it when he refused. Well, that's what I was able to understand. You got text messages from him, I'm sure you can imagine what that sounds like out loud. It makes me a little sad, though. I don't think he's had a very fun birthday this year."_

Kai got into contact with Cole after dinner. He was feeling okay, and despite a headache, was willing to train tonight. Cole tried his best to teach Kai, but there was a hollow look in his eyes that made Cole take a step back and let them just spar for the night. Kai came at Cole hard, regressing back to his old style and not being particularly careful, crashing onto the floor before getting back up and trying to beat Cole again and never quitting until Cole finally called it off and told him the session was over. Kai went home with a few more bruises than usual that night.

When they met outside the dojo before their next session, Kai awkwardly apologized for his behaviour by explaining that he'd been angry about something that he refused to disclose. He was looking forward to their training session so he could clear his head and focus on something else.

They were interrupted halfway through their session by the sound of Kai's ringtone going off. Kai stopped what he was doing and ran across the floor, diving for his bag and pulling out his phone. He stared at the screen for a few seconds, taking in deep breaths. Then he accepted the call and pressed his phone to his ear.

When Kai spoke, his voice was barely a whisper.

"Dad?"

Cole couldn't hear what his dad was saying. But listening to Kai was enough to know what was happening.

"No, it's okay, you didn't wake me up . . . Thanks, I guess, but you're three days late . . . I know you're busy, it's fine . . . What about mom? Where is she? . . . Whatever, it's not like either of you can ever come to the phone anyways . . . No, I'm not mad, I'm just— . . . Yeah, yeah, I know . . . When's the next time you're going to be home? . . . No, I don't need anything, I just haven't seen you in over a year . . . Yes, it has been that long. You cancelled Mother's Day and couldn't make it to grad . . . I know, I know you're busy . . . You have to go? . . . Okay, I'll talk to you soon . . . Where even are you? . . . Dad?"

Kai pulled the phone away from his ear. It dropped from his hand and fell into his bag. Kai zipped it up, wiped his eyes, and then turned to face Cole.

"I'm done for the night. Do you want to go do something?"

It was Cole's idea to go up to his roof. They sat close to each other as they looked out at the city, taking in the rainbow of neon lights around them. There was a light breeze that ruffled their hair and made them both scoot in closer because even though Ninjago City was usually warm, it cooled down at nights and their thin spring clothes weren't enough to keep out the cold.

They were silent for a long time before Kai spoke up.

"I had this weird dream," he said. He yawned into the back of his hand. "It was on my birthday. I know you're not supposed to admit to dreaming about your friends, but everyone does it so shut up and don't judge, okay? We were on a beach together, and there were some other people I couldn't recognize. We were waiting for something—something important, I think. It was so vivid; I could hear the waves crashing against the shore, feel the sand beneath my feet. It felt more like a memory than a dream. It made me think that maybe, we knew each other in a past life. Wouldn't that be cool?"

Cole clenched his fist and tried not to think about how true it was.

"Yeah. It would be cool."

Kai slept over at Cole's apartment, passing out on the couch with no blanket or pillow and not even stirring when Cole woke up in the morning and went through his usual routine. Before he left, Cole placed a spare key on the coffee table with a note that told Kai to lock up when he went home.

Cole let Kai keep the key, and by the time the summer sun was scorching the city, Kai was staying over at Cole's place a few times a month to avoid Nya after an argument or just because he felt like it. He started to stress about university, still not sure what he wanted to go into and once again expressing his fear of doing nothing with his life.

"I don't want to do any of this," he said as he scrolled through Ninjago City University's list of programs, showing them to Cole. "Look at these! They're all such bullshit. Who wants to be an accountant for the rest of their life?"

"I mean, if it makes you feel any better, you almost failed low math. I don't think you could be an accountant in the first place."

"Is that what an accountant does? Math? That's so sad."

"Agreed."

It took several hours of research, career aptitude tests, and encouragement for Kai to finally settle down on a major. On the same day Kai sent off his application, he received a call from his dojo asking him to help demonstrate moves to a class of young students. Kai was always one to show off, so he accepted without hesitation and found himself teaching kids basic moves at least twice a week. At their practice sessions, Kai would talk about how much the kids loved him and practically begged him to come back to every lesson. "They think I'm the coolest person ever because I can beat their teacher in a fight. I've got to admit, I kind of agree with them. Since when could I beat the dojo masters?"

The two weeks leading up to nationals were spent training harder and longer. Cole refused to show Kai any mercy during their spars, using some of his real strength to throw him off and force him to adapt. Cole would imitate Lloyd's fighting style, and when Kai adapted, switched it over to Jay's, then Zane's, then his own, and for the last few days he only used Skylor's. Kai was fast. Strong. Adaptable. Smart. Balanced.

He was everything a ninja was supposed to be.

It was during their last practice session that Kai called his parents and asked them to come to nationals, saying that he was finally going to win and wanted them there to see it. They actually accepted and Kai spent their practice time talking about his parents, telling Cole about how even though they weren't around that much, they were really cool and he couldn't wait for them to see him compete at nationals. They hadn't seen him fight since he was little, so Kai was pretty sure his improvement was going to knock their socks off.

Nationals were being held seven hours away, located in the heart of Skylor's home town. They piled in Zane's car again and left a day early, making a road trip out of it by stopping in small towns along the way. By the time they checked into their hotel rooms the sun had set beyond the horizon, so they called it a night and decided that they would explore the town tomorrow after finals.

In the morning, Kai called his parents but they didn't pick up. He said they were only supposed to get there in the afternoon anyways, so they were probably driving or something and couldn't answer. Nya shot Cole a worried look but told Kai that he was probably right, and they would be here soon.

They arrived at the complex early and Cole sat down with Kai before he ran off with his official coach to go over the plan again. "Aggressive first. Ninja second," he said. "You adapt to her, she doesn't adapt to you. You got this." Kai wasn't a huggy person so Cole settled for a high five and promised to cheer him on from the stands with the others.

Skylor hadn't changed much since the previous year. Chen watched in the background as she fought with the same style, letting her opponent attack first and then taking them down once she saw a pattern. When she won her first match, she looked back for Chen's approval. He nodded. She'd done well.

Cole could only imagine the pressure. She was competing in her hometown, and after last year's close call, had a lot at stake. Cole felt sorry for her. If Kai won, Chen's reaction wasn't going to be pretty.

Kai was so fast and so strong that he tore through his opponents like they were practice dummies, ending some of his matches only seconds after they began. After his fights, he always turned towards Cole and the others and frowned when he saw the two empty seats occupied by Nya's bags. During the semi-finals, Kai stole a glance at the stands and opened himself up for a kick that almost made him lose the match. He recovered and won anyways, but only by using his old, aggressive style to pummel his opponent into submission.

It was 15:50 and there were ten minutes until the final match. The other competitors were sitting on the sidelines again, passing candy amongst themselves to make the betting piles. Skylor was on a bench with Chen, talking animatedly about what Cole could only assume was going to be her strategy for the fight. And then, there was Kai.

His coach was talking to him, but Kai kept looking up at the stands, not really paying any attention to the conversation. He chewed on his thumbnail as he glanced back and forth, right foot tapping rapidly against the floor.

Nya was on her phone, calling the same number over and over again but no one was picking up. She gave up and shoved her phone in her pocket. She turned to Cole. "I'm going to go talk to him. You should come, too."

They jumped the railing and landed in the arena. Nya excused herself to Kai's coach and then pulled her brother away, finding an empty corner where they could talk.

"What's wrong?"

"They promised they were going to come," Kai said. "They told me they were proud of me. They wanted to see me compete because they felt bad for being so  _busy_ these past what, ten years? They said they wanted to see you, too. They said they  _missed us_. So where are they? Whenever they cancel, they always call. Why haven't they called us? I don't know if I did something wrong or if they decided this wasn't worth the time, and I wouldn't blame them because it's not like I have a great track record of winning these stupid competitions, let alone anything in general. What have I ever done to make them proud? Why would they want to see me or call me on time for my birthday? It's not like I've ever given them a reason to love me."

When Nya comforted someone, she wrapped her arms around them, held them close, and whispered encouraging words into their ear. Cole remembered when she did it to him, acting as an anchor in the world when he was no longer human and felt himself losing touch with reality. She sat with him and talked to him until he felt better, and it was in her embrace that he felt something for the first time that day.

So when Nya was confronted with an emotional Kai, the last thing he expected her to do was yell.

"You know what, Kai?  _Fuck our parents_." She put her hands on his shoulders. "If they're not here to see you win, it's their loss. The people that actually care about you are here, so stop getting hung up on people that don't give a shit about you—" she pointed to Skylor "—and go kick her ass!"

"I—" Kai began to say, but Nya interrupted his sentence by stepping forward and hugging him.

"I'm sorry they're not here," she said softly. "But don't lose because of them. You can do this. I believe in you."

She pulled away and the coach told them they had to leave, so Cole offered the only comfort he could — "Remember what I taught you. Even if your head isn't in it, instinct will take over. You're a natural fighter. You got this." — and he jumped back over the railing with Nya and sat down. With a shared look, they took her bags off the empty seats and set them on the floor. Nya crossed her arms and told him she was done saving room for people that were never going to show up.

The match lasted a total of three minutes. Cole spent those three minutes on the edge of his seat, and by the end of the match his fingers hurt from gripping the plastic seat so hard. He watched as Kai took off, attacking Skylor with a flurry of kicks and punches that she blocked, dodged, and eventually learned to counter. During tussles, she landed hits and knocked Kai to the side. At two minutes in, Kai could no longer attack without getting hit back. "Come on, Kai," Cole whispered. "Switch over."

Skylor kicked him hard enough that he almost fell to the mat. Kai regained his balance, took a step back, and then shifted his stance. Skylor didn't approach, keeping her distance. There was no playful banter this time around—they both knew what was at stake. For only the second time in her life, Skylor was being genuinely challenged by someone for her throne in her division. One wrong move would knock her down to second place.

There was nothing wrong with how she chose to attack. She tested the waters with a unique move, something Cole hadn't seen from her yet. It ended with a kick, going straight for Kai's chest. But reacting was the core of this fighting style, and Kai did exactly what he'd been taught: he blocked with one arm and used his other to slam into her chest so hard that she crashed against the mat at his feet.

And just like that, he'd won. Cole, Nya, and Zane jumped from their seats, cheering and clapping so hard that Cole's hands stung by the end of the awards ceremony, stopping only to watch Nya take pictures of Kai and his first place trophy with her phone. For a few pictures, Skylor and Kai put their arms over each other's shoulders like they were teammates instead of rivals. Cole looked around for Chen, but he was nowhere to be seen.

The crowds and other competitors were leaving when they were finally able to meet Kai on the arena floor. Nya gave him another hug, but this time he didn't accept it as graciously as last time and pushed her away after thanking her. Kai started to introduce Cole and Zane to Skylor, but couldn't finish before a large hand grabbed his shoulder and spun him around.

It was Chen.

Cole instinctively took a step back and glanced at Zane. Zane's eyes were narrowed, but he stood still.

"Congratulations on your victory! You deserved to win, you really did."

"Um, thanks. Skylor fought well, too."

"Now, I'm curious: how did you manage to improve so dramatically these past two years?" Chen asked.

"Oh, the reason's right here." Kai took a step back and threw an arm over Cole's shoulders. "Best coach I've ever had."

"Uh huh. And he isn't a coach at your dojo?"

"No. Why do you ask?"

Chen smiled. "I was just thinking that I should hire him to coach my daughter, too. Then maybe she could take back her title."

Cole gulped. He would never do it to begin with, but the thought of being in close quarters with Chen on a regular basis was enough to make his skin crawl.

"Sorry, I'm only training Kai because we're friends. I'm not exactly a professional or anything."

"No worries, it's fine. Skylor, come with me, won't you?"

Chen turned around and walked away. Skylor followed him, walking backwards so she could face them and shrug her shoulders. She mouthed the words  _see you later_ to Kai before pivoting to catch up with her father.

And see them later, she did. When everyone arrived back at the hotel, Kai confessed that he'd made plans with Skylor so they could hang out now that they had a chance for the first time in nine years. Skylor showed up in the hotel lobby, and Kai introduced her to Cole without interruption.

"This is Skylor. We used to be best friends when we were little, even if we only got to see each other at tournaments. Then we grew up and it got a little competitive, so we haven't had the chance to hang out in forever," Kai said. "Skylor, this is Cole. He's a good friend."

Cole and Skylor exchanged awkward greetings. Kai laughed at them and then dragged Skylor away, promising Cole and the others that he'd be back around midnight. Cole, Nya, and Zane did get to explore the town a little bit. They found a small restaurant so they could eat dinner and walked around the main area, admiring the small shops but never going inside. If Cole looked up, he could see the stars in the sky. But he couldn't remember the constellations Jay had taught him to recognize, so he kept his eyes on the architecture around him to avoid thinking about how he couldn't remember something so important.

Everyone was pretty tired on the ride home. They didn't make any stops, everyone voting to just drive without stopping and get to the city as early as possible. Nya's phone died halfway through the ride, so Kai plugged his into the car and let his rock music take over the car for the last three hours.

Kai came over to the flower shop every day for the last week of summer, anxiously checking his email every hour to see if NCU had finally gotten back to him about his admission. He'd been put on a waiting list, so his chances of getting in weren't very high. Cole tried to offer encouragement, but Kai would tell him to stop bothering because no amount of Cole's words would change the university's decision.

Tomorrow was the last day NCU was sending out acceptances. Kai had given up on his email, opting to sit in Cole's office chair and lay his head face-down on the desk as he tried to figure out what he was going to do if he wasn't accepted.

Chen's timely phone call didn't make matters much easier, either.

Kai answered the call on speaker phone so Cole could hear what he had to say.

" _Kai, how great to speak to you again. I have a few questions regarding the official rule book."_

"Okay? I don't really know anything and you should probably be calling the league for this, but shoot away, I guess."

" _Just this morning I was looking it over and noticed something pretty interesting. Did you know that just last year they banned secondary coaching?"_

Cole felt his stomach drop. Oh, no.

". . . What?"

" _It says here that it's against the rules to train under a coach unaffiliated with your dojo. It also says that any competitor caught breaking this rule would be disqualified, lose their title, and be suspended from competing in nationals for up to five years. So, tell me: what was the name of that friend of yours, again? The one that was training you in his spare time?"_

Kai rubbed his face with his hands, mouthing a string of curse words as he stared at his phone. Chen had got them. He hadn't asked about Cole because he cared, he'd asked so he could get Kai—Skylor's only real competition—kicked from the league.

" _Judging from your silence, you must be as surprised as I am. But don't worry, I won't report you. Not when I don't even know if you'll be competing next year."_

"I . . ."

" _It would be such a shame if you were caught cheating. I suppose you only have two options: come clean and face the consequences, or accept this year's victory and quit forever. I'm really sorry that you won't be able to compete next year either way. Honestly, I blame myself. I completely forgot to include your dojo in the email I sent out to inform everyone of the changes made to the rules. How irresponsible of me! So, Kai, what will you do?"_

"Fuck you."

" _I need an answer now, Kai."_

"Fine. You win. I quit," Kai spat. "I hope Skylor has fun collecting medals for the rest of her life. Just make sure to remember that they're not yours."

" _I'm pleased by your decision. I'll elect to forget about this cheating scandal when I hear you've officially left the league."_

Chen hung up. Kai leaned forward and buried his face in his hands. Cole was never very good at dealing with emotional people, so when Kai started to cry, he didn't know what to say or do. In a matter of minutes, Chen had managed to take away one of the few things Kai actually cared about. Cole struggled to find something to say. As he thought of what to do, he texted Nya to update her on the situation and she promised to swing by in twenty minutes to talk to Kai on her own.

"I knew people like that when I was a dancer," Cole decided to say. "Parents always hated it when I was chosen for a solo over their own kid. They would bitch until they were told to fuck off or got their way. This sucks, though. Accusing you of cheating after deliberately not sending you the updated rules? What a dick."

"I wish there was some way to fight back," Kai mumbled. "But there isn't. We're expected to read the updated rule book every year, but no one does. The stupid e-mails are sent out of courtesy, so I can't even complain about being left out on purpose. If I go to the administration, they'll just tell me that I should have read the rules in the first place and let him get away with it. Chen's gotten other kids kicked out by pulling similar shit, too. I guess it's about time that he finally sniped me."

Even in this new life, Chen hadn't changed. He was still just has manipulative and willing to cheat to get his way. Cole hadn't thought it was possible to hate Chen more than he already did, but watching Kai now made him want to drive back to that small town and personally punch Chen in the face. Full Earth strength. No restraint.

Chen would probably die. Cole was oddly okay with the prospect.

Nya showed up a little earlier than promised so she could take Kai home and figure out what he was going to do next year. Cole tried to remind her that the university still had one day left to send out acceptances, but she didn't seem very optimistic. Neither did Kai, who exited the office with a red face and glassy eyes. The sight created a weird feeling in Cole's stomach. He wasn't used to seeing Kai cry—wasn't used to seeing him so openly vulnerable.

They left and Cole called Zane to tell him about what happened. Zane was angry with Chen, but especially with himself for not catching the lie when it was being told right in front of him. Cole assured him that it wasn't his fault, but like Nya, Zane wasn't very interested in listening to his words.

Kai never got in contact with him for the rest of the day. Cole was worried about him but knew there was nothing he could do to help, so he sat on his couch and watched TV as a sinking feeling of dread took over his body. He wound up falling asleep on the couch, and when he woke up, the TV was playing, sun was shining in through his windows, and there was a single message waiting in his inbox.

**[sent at 2:03 AM]**

**kai_fire13  
** if i dont get into uni what am i supposed to do with my life

Cole got up and made breakfast. He only responded when he was sitting on his couch and eating a bowl of his favorite cereal.

 **flintcole  
** I don't know, man.

 **kai_fire13  
** its okay

 **kai_fire13  
** neither do i

 **flintcole  
** Look, I didn't exactly graduate high school and I'm still doing okay.

 **flintcole  
** Just because life isn't going the way you'd planned it to doesn't mean you won't end up fine.

 **kai_fire13  
** ok

It was Saturday, so Cole found himself sitting alone at home all day as he waited for Kai's response. He kept himself busy by watching more movies, choosing to watch weird, low-budget documentaries about historical conspiracies until Nya contacted him and made him promise to bring Kai out tonight because she figured he'd rather be with a friend than his sister right now. By his fourth documentary, Cole was trying—and failing—to come up with an idea for how to make Kai feel better.

With no news from Kai at the end of the day, it became apparent that post-secondary education wasn't going to be a part of his immediate future. The feeling of dread returned and pulled Cole's attention away from both the documentaries and planning, only allowing him to focus on either/or for a few minutes before he was distracted again.

Around dinner, a documentary ended and another one popped up in his recommendations.

**Elemental Ninja: Ninjago's Historic Protectors**

Cole stared at the title for a long time. And then he had an idea.

 **flintcole  
** Come over. I know you're not busy.

 **kai_fire13  
** it depends

 **kai_fire13  
** are your parents home

 **flintcole  
** Oh, haha. Are you coming or not?

 **kai_fire13  
** sure i guess

 **flintcole  
** Awesome. One last thing: what's your favorite ice cream flavor?

Like that night in late spring, Kai and Cole sat side-by-side on the rooftop, legs dangling over the edge as they both ate from their own pint of ice cream. Kai hadn't gelled his hair today, so it rustled in the light summer breeze in a way Cole had never seen before. Kai had never been one to let go of his appearance for anyone.

Sitting there made Cole think of Kai's dream. They were both waiting for something. Kai, for official rejection. Cole, for finally breaking the silence and telling Kai something he needed to hear.

Cole ate the last bit of chocolate ice cream in the container and set it to the side. It was time.

"Kai, do you remember why I started talking to you?"

"Uh, I remember calling you out for stalking my social media. Then I found out you weren't a  _total_ creep because you were only doing it because I look like one of the ninja. I look like the red one, right?"

"You're right. But it's always been a little more than that."

Kai frowned. "What?"

Cole paused before he finally asked the question.

"Would you believe me if I told you I was the black ninja?"

"Bullshit. They're all dead."

"That's not true, though. Kai, I'm thirty-one hundred years-old. I've looked twenty-one for  _centuries_. Zane's in the same boat as I am. He's the white ninja."

There was a pensive look on Kai's face. He wasn't looking at Cole, but at the streets below, the city lights reflecting off his eyes. He put his unfinished ice cream beside him and gripped the edge of the building.

"This is really fucking stupid. I think this is a stupid prank and you're trying to take advantage of me while I'm an emotional mess, but if you did tell me you were the black ninja, I would believe you. It would explain why you could fight so well, why you were so strong and fast, why Zane wouldn't leave my sister alone at Borg. But I want to know what this has to do with me. Is it because I look like an old friend of yours? Is that the only reason why you care? Let's be real here, if I  _didn't_ look like the red ninja, you wouldn't have given a shit about me in the first place. You probably would have kept running your shitty little flower shop until I died and you just kept right on living until the end of the world. I guess I should think this is the coolest thing ever, but I just can't bring myself to be excited about it. It feels like we're only friends because you miss someone that looks like me. Tell me if I'm wrong to feel this way."

"You're not. I'll admit that the only reason I wanted to talk to you was because you looked like the red ninja, but trust me when I say this is so much deeper than that. The red ninja's name was Kai. His younger sister, the magenta ninja, was named Nya. There are too many similarities for this to be an appearance-based coincidence."

"Tell me about him."

"Huh?"

"Tell me about Kai. The red ninja."

"He was a hothead. He was stubborn. He never thought anything through. He was quick to jump to action even if the situation didn't call for it. He . . . cared a lot. He cared  _too_ much. He would have done anything for the people he cared about. He would willingly sacrifice the mission—or even himself—if it meant saving his teammates. He was protective of Nya. He was good with kids because he'd basically raised his sister on his own. He was best friends with the green ninja. He was best friends with everyone. He—" Cole hiccuped "—he didn't always get along with me because I would yell at him for not following the plan. He got over it as time went on and we became best friends, too. He was compassionate and passionate and everything in between and I really, really miss him."

"He raised his sister? What about his parents?"

"They died when he was little. He gave up school and everything so he could take care of Nya."

"Oh," Kai said. "So . . . what are you trying to say?"

Cole wiped his eyes and swallowed. "I think you're the red ninja. I think you're reincarnated or reborn with no memories of the person you used to be or however you want to explain it. All I know is that I've spent more than a year getting to know you and wouldn't be telling you this if I didn't think it was true."

"They had pictures back then. Do you have any videos?"

"Yeah. I have them saved on my laptop downstairs."

"I want to see them."

They crowded next to each other on Cole's couch in the dark. The laptop was placed on the coffee table, video player up and running. Cole leaned forward and pressed the spacebar, starting the video.

" _Hello, future us! This is Jay with vlog number six, documenting the lives of Ninjago's very own secret ninja force."_

" _Jay, why are you doing this? What's the point?_

" _This is_ history in the making _, Cole. They're gonna like, show this in schools and shit in a few years from now."_

" _If your goal is to get this into the education system, you may want to stop swearing. What's that line you always say? 'You shouldn't swear, it's a sign of weak vocal skills'? Also, don't point the camera at the floor. But hey, I'm not the director here. What would I know? Keep up the good work."_

" _Fucking arts students," Jay mumbled. The camera was pointed at his feet as he walked out of their room. "So pretentious."_

_Jay pointed the camera up when he entered the kitchen. Kai, Nya, and Zane were sitting on the counters, eating breakfast and talking. They stopped and looked up when Jay entered the room._

" _All right, time for a round of interviews!" Jay walked right up to Zane and shoved the camera in his face. It focused on his face, and only his face, so nothing else could be seen. "Zane, how do you feel about our recent victory?"_

" _We defeated the Great Devourer, so I am proud of the whole team for their contribution in saving all of Ninjago. However, I am a little disappointed that Garmadon now has the Golden Weapons to use whenever he pleases. Who knows what he will do with them?"_

" _Great question idea!" Jay moved on to Nya, although he took a step back so the camera could see her upper body and head, not just her face. "Nya, what do you think Garmadon will do with the Golden Weapons?"_

" _Hm, I'm not sure. Maybe he'll kill you and spare us from your stupid vlogs."_

" _Why is everyone being so mean today?" Jay cried. He moved on to Kai, who frowned as he swallowed his cereal. "Ninja of Fire, how does it feel to know that I totally made out with your sister last night?"_

" _You fucking what?" Kai demanded. He jumped off the counter and smacked the camera out of the Jay's hands. The camera wound up facing the wall, so only muffled audio could be heard as Jay screamed and his footsteps pounded on the floor as he ran away._

The video ended. Kai spoke up.

"The one that was filming . . . which color was he?"

"Blue. His name was Jay."

"He dated my sister?"

"Yep."

"He sounds kind of annoying, no offense."

"Yeah, he comes off that way. But he grows on you, he really does."

"Huh. Okay. Are there more videos?"

"I have a bunch of them. Zane and I couldn't recover all of them, but we managed to salvage a little under half."

When Jay got his first smart phone, he used it to film the others when they weren't even aware it was happening—his own way of cherishing genuine, authentic memories without the pressure of being on camera. No one had ever known about them, not before he died and Cole, Lloyd, and Zane had gone through all of Jay's saved video files to find old videos.

Jay was right. They hadn't cared about the videos when they were alive, but now that everyone was dead and Cole could feel his memories of that first lifetime fading, he valued them more than ever. He only wished Jay could have realized his important his videos were—how important  _he_  was—when he was alive.

_The camera was face-down on whatever surface Jay and Kai were sitting on. There was no real video, only audio to be heard._

" _. . . I know the Preeminent has been defeated. I know Lloyd is safe. I know it's been a few months since then and I should stop dwelling on it, but I can't get it out of my head. Am I an idiot? Why would I follow the sun? Why would I try to outsmart Ronin? What the hell is wrong with me? I wasted so much time—Lloyd could have died because I kept slowing us down. What if he died? What if Morro won? What if the Preeminent had won? What if . . . what if it was all my fault?"_

" _I know what it's like to lose someone like that," Jay mumbled. "You want to find them and save them, no matter the cost. We always expect ourselves to keep a level head, but truth is, we do stupid things for the people we love. You can't blame yourself for caring too much. If you did, then I'd have no trouble calling you an idiot."_

_The rest of the video was ambient noise until it clicked off._

"If Nya and I are back, what are the chances the blue and green ones are, too?"

"I have no idea. I don't know how to find them."

"You tracked me down on social media. You can't do the same for them?"

"Jay was never a fan, and there's a chance Lloyd is only a little kid. I don't exactly know a whole lot of people, either. Networking has never really been my thing."

Kai put his arm over Cole's shoulder. In the dim light, Cole could see a familiar expression on Kai's face. It was one of optimistic determination, the kind he wore before going into a fight he was confident he would win. He'd always looked like the first Kai, but now he did more than ever.

"Well, it's a good thing you finally told me. If anyone can track them down, it's me. I know people that know people that know people. I know  _everyone_. The kid may be hard, but Jay shouldn't take too long. Just give me some time."

"You're actually going to find Jay in a city as big as this one? There's millions of people."

"You shouldn't doubt my ability, Cole," Kai said with a smile. "Also, I can't fight anymore and I'm not going to university so even after I get a job I'm  _really_ going to need something bigger to work on. I'm not the kind of guy that likes to do nothing with my life, man. I'll find Jay for you. And after I find Jay, I'll get my hands on Lloyd. I promise I'll find them for you. Well, for us. You, me, Zane,  _and_ Nya. She was a ninja, too."

"Uh, thanks man. This means a lot. Is there any way I can help you find him?"

"I'll need all of his personal information that you can remember. Full name, social media accounts, pictures, age, what he was doing in school, clubs or community stuff, and all that. The more I have, the better."

"I'll put it all in a document and send it to you. I'll see what I can squeeze out of Zane without rousing suspicion, too," Cole said. "Speaking of which, please don't tell him. I didn't discuss revealing this to you with him and I have a feeling he'll be pissed if he finds out through you and not me. Same goes for Nya. Zane and I will tell her ourselves."

"No prob', I can keep a secret. Just get used to having a new partner, all right? You can't tell me that I'm the reincarnation of a ninja and then  _not_ expect me to become one."

Cole pointed at Kai and spoke with his harsh, ninja-leader voice. "You are  _not_  going to missions with us. I know you can hold your own in a fight, but you're not an Elemental Master and I don't want you to die at nineteen because you tried to fight some evil warlord on your own or something. Your 'ninja task' is to find Jay and Lloyd, nothing more. Got it?"

"Fine, dad. I'll be your social media monkey and not some cool, bad ass ninja. I will be throwing a temper tantrum every time you do something without me, though."

And so, it was settled. Kai would spend his free time searching for Jay and Lloyd and update Cole whenever he found something pertaining to either of them. Cole felt giddy and scared at the prospect of meeting them again. What kind of people would they be? What kind of life was Jay living? What kind of life was  _Lloyd_ living? Jay's life was pretty normal, so Cole could imagine it being similar. But Lloyd? Lloyd was going to surprise him no matter what his life ended up being like.

Kai slept over and Nya called Cole to thank him for having him over. Kai had seemed to be doing better in their texts, and she didn't know what Cole did to make him feel better, but she was thankful for it. "I was afraid he was going to feel like he had no future," she told him. "I'm glad he doesn't seem to think so."

Kai took a break from everything to relax for a few days, and the day he was going to go job hunting, he received an e-mail from his dojo regarding his future with them now that he could no longer compete. He'd called Cole the moment he'd received it, barely able to form a coherent sentence as he tried—and failed—to read out loud to him over the phone.

"Kai, please. Take a deep breath and try again."

" _Okay, okay, sorry. I'll start over,"_  Kai said. " _It says, 'Due to your history of volunteering with the young students at this dojo, we have recognized your ability to work well with young children. Given your limbo-like state in the league, we would like to offer you a full-time job managing our various social media accounts and_   _teaching classes to students of all ages. We need young people like you if we wish to continue to beat the competition at tournaments across the country. We understand you have school and may not be available, so please let us know what you decide to do ASAP.'"_

Kai started a few days later. Every night, he would message Cole and tell him about all the shenanigans he got up to with the kids he was teaching. Apparently, he was the kind of coach that also used his practice slots to let his trainees booby trap the room for its next users, or create elaborate games that required them to use the skills they'd learned to win. Cole told Kai he was the kind of trainer he'd wished he had when he was a dancer, because strict teachers at a performing arts school coupled with a strict father were not the best combination for keeping someone that wasn't a fan of the art in the first place motivated to stay. Kai said he could remember long, boring sessions when he was younger. He was trying to avoid boredom with all his might.

Kai came over one weekend in September. He told Cole that the search for Jay was a lot harder than he'd initially thought, and he was either using a fake name online or didn't exist in the first place because he wasn't anywhere on the web. Cole assured Kai that if anyone was alive and in the city, he could find them. He just had to keep looking.

The phone call came in as they were going to sleep. Kai frowned at the caller ID, and Cole caught a glimpse of who it was: his mom.

"Hello?" Kai asked. He sounded impatient, annoyed. Cole wasn't used to hearing him to talk to his parents this way. "What do you want?"

Cole was close enough that he could hear his mother's voice.

" _How are things going? We heard you didn't get into university. Is everything okay?"_

"Mom, that was three weeks ago. Are you serious?"

" _Why are you so angry, sweetie? First, you refuse to speak to your father, and now this? What did we do?"_

"I'm mad because you used to leave me alone with a baby for hours when I was only five. I'm mad because when I was eleven, you started leaving me alone with my nine year-old sister for weeks at a time. I'm mad because I always wanted you to be a part of my life but you never were," Kai said. "So it's not about what you did, it's about what you  _didn't_ do. Which was just about everything, by the way. Of course, I'm mad. I'm done making excuses for you guys so I can convince myself that you actually care about me. Nya gave up on you a long time ago and I think I have, too. See you in a few years when you decide to finally drop in to say hello. If you decide to come back in the first place. Not that it really makes a difference."

" _Everything we do is for this family. How can you speak to me this way?"_

"What fucking family? All I see are me and my younger sister and our two parents that are out in the middle of nowhere doing who knows fucking what because they never talk to us. It's like—it's like you're dead. You can stay out there forever, I don't care anymore."

Kai hung up. His face was red, the kind of red it had been when he'd left the office after the phone call with Chen. Nya wasn't there to come to his rescue this time, so Cole reached forward and put his hand on Kai's shoulder. Kai didn't retreat like he normally did under physical affection, so Cole leaned over and wrapped his arms around Kai.

Kai sniffled. "I want to hate them. But I can't, because I still love them."

It was late fall when Nya got into contact with Cole. The two months after Kai's call with his parents had gone by smoothly, and everyone was slipping back into their routines as the year went on. Kai was busy during the day so Cole wound up alone at the flower shop again, Nya was studying hard to do well during senior year, and Zane was helping out at Borg Industries like he always did.

 **nyarai  
** You know, there's a long weekend coming up for holidays. There's this place Kai keeps telling me about, and I think we should all go there on the Saturday if we can.

 **flintcole  
** Oh yeah? Where is it?

 **nyarai  
** It's some old ship or something. I looked it up, and it's called 'Destiny's Bounty'. It seems pretty cool, don't you think?

Destiny's Bounty was located a few miles outside of the city, blocked off by a number of fences and nindroid guards that Zane convinced to let them in even though the exhibit was closed on holidays. They all wore earmuffs and mittens because snow was starting to fall, covering the ship in a thin layer of white that looked almost surreal because the Bounty had never been still long enough for it to gather any kind of snow or dust.

They climbed the metal staircase up onto the wooden deck. The snow crunched beneath their boots as they walked around, and Cole eventually broke off with Kai to show him where he used to sleep and train and eat and live. The rooms in the lower decks were blocked off by metal chains and there was a snack bar for tourists in one of the walls that Cole had never known how to feel about. Kai laughed as Cole told him stories and when they made their way back to the deck, Zane and Nya were sitting on the edge of the ship and watching the snowfall. Cole and Kai joined them, wiping away the snow before sitting down and kicking the side of the ship with their heels as their legs swung back and forth over the edge.

As the snow fell around them and decorated their hair, Cole realized that even if Jay and Lloyd weren't alive, he was perfectly fine living out the next few decades with two people he knew and trusted. Memories or not, they were still his best friends, still his family—and nothing could ever change that.

~~**RED | FIRE** ~~

**MAGENTA | WATER**

**BLUE | LIGHTNING**

**GREEN | ENERGY**

**TOGETHER | UNITY**


	2. MAGENTA | WATER

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for your patience. This chapter was very hard for me to write. I hope you enjoy it!

 

~~ **RED | FIRE** ~~

**MAGENTA | WATER**

**BLUE | LIGHTNING**

**GREEN | ENERGY**

**TOGETHER | UNITY**

"I'm a little sad, Cole. Every time you visit me, you look the same, but I'm always changing." A cough. "Look at you, you're so young, and I'm so old. We used to be the pretty ones, you know. Now I guess it's only you."

"How would Jay feel if he found out you didn't think he was the hottest guy in the group?"

"I don't think Jay will care."

Sometimes, the reminders felt like kicks to the gut. Cole shifted in his chair and sucked in a deep breath to retain his composure.

Of course, Jay wouldn't care—he died four years ago.

Nya reached forward and tucked a loose strand of hair behind his left ear. She'd always hated long hair, so she'd never understood his decision to grow it out. She told him it was going to get in his way, but Cole disagreed. His life was changing. His friends were leaving him behind, and soon enough, he would be pushed into a new era of life. One with only him and Zane and maybe Lloyd and none of the other people he cared about. He couldn't look in the mirror and see the same person in the photographs from eighty years ago. Life was going to be different. He wanted to look different, too.

She pulled her hand back and rested it on his cheek. She locked eyes with him and stared him down with the intense, inspired look in her eyes that had never quite gone away.

"Cole, you have an eternity ahead of you," she told him. Her voice sounded weak. "I know you always felt like what you did in life was never up to you. Now it is. Please go do the things you've always wanted to do, be the person you've always wanted to be. Live your new life for Kai, and Jay, and me. But most importantly, live it for yourself. You've been taking care of us for so long. Go take care of yourself for once. Go be you."

Two weeks later, the invitation for her funeral arrived in the mail. When Lloyd died sixty years after her funeral, Cole swore to never return to the hospital again. Within those few decades, it transformed from a place of life and healing to a place of death and grieving. He promised he would never step foot inside the clean, white walls of the facility ever again.

So when he got a phone call from the emergency ward one year after the trip to the Bounty with Kai, Nya, and Zane, he didn't know what to do.

The year between was a time for growth. When they returned home from the Bounty, Cole went to Zane's apartment and finally told him that he'd let Kai in on their secret. Zane wasn't angry, but made Cole promise to stop keeping secrets from him as they dealt with all this reincarnation business. They needed to do this together. They were friends, partners, brothers—they needed to trust each other as they tread through these strange, new waters.

In the late spring, Kai started to leave town for weekends at a time. His new job as a martial arts coach demanded that he take his students to their qualifying tournaments all over the country, so he grew evermore absent as summer approached. However, he made sure he was home for Nya's high school graduation. He snuck Cole into the ceremony by pretending he was a cousin and the two of them sat as close to the front as possible, cheering loudly whenever she was called up to the stage to make up for the lack of family there to see her. The convocation doubled as an awards ceremony, and by the end of the night, Nya had not only a scroll with her name on it but handfuls of trophies and medals and scholarships for some of NCU's hardest programs. Kai took several pictures, some of which wound up as backgrounds for his phone and laptops and other devices. Kai claimed they were only there to embarrass her, but after seeing Kai wipe away more than one proud tear during her graduation, Cole knew he wasn't telling the truth.

In August, Zane and Cole were invited to Kai's house to discuss his search for Jay. It had almost been a year since Kai started looking, and despite many, many attempts to find him, no one seemed to know the ever-elusive Jay Walker.

"I'm not entirely sure that Jay exists," Kai said. They were seated at his kitchen table, with his laptop open in the centre for all to see. He'd taken screenshots of fruitless social media searches and inconclusive DM conversations with people he knew from all over the country, and then put them into a poorly-designed slideshow that made Cole's artistic side die a little. "When I went to all those martial arts tournaments, I asked around to see if there was a chance he didn't live in the city. Nothing came up. I know you said he'd grown up in some scrapyard in the middle of the Sea of Sand, but because everything is recycled, those don't really exist anymore. I have no leads, no information. Either he hasn't come back or I just can't find him. Either way, I'm sorry. I wanted this to work out."

Cole had refused to get his hopes up during the wait, knowing that the chances of Jay being dead were greater than the chances of being alive. But it still hurt. No matter how impossible it was, he'd wanted to see his best friend again.

"What will you do now?" Zane asked.

"I'm going to keep looking for Jay until Day of the Departed. If nothing comes up by then, I'm going to start searching for Lloyd," Kai replied. "Hopefully he'll be a little bit older, but if he's a kid, I'll still try my best. Most of them lie about their age online so they can get social media early, anyways. I know I sure did."

Zane and Kai dove into a conversation regarding tactics for finding Lloyd. Cole leaned on his elbow as he listened, trying to follow their quick words and plans but failing. The more they spoke, the more an idea pushed to the forefront of his mind and refused to leave. By the time they were starting to write down their ideas on a document on Kai's laptop, Cole was clenching his left hand into a fist so hard he could feel his nails bite into his palm.

Cole was a good actor. He knew how to lie, how to pretend, how to convince people he was feeling emotions that he wasn't. Attending a performing arts school that taught him the basics of acting and having a father he had to lie to on a regular basis had trained him for success; he didn't need to be loud and funny to cover up how he was feeling, like what Jay used to do when he didn't want anyone to ask what was wrong. He knew how to imitate subtle body language, making small gestures that would go unnoticed by the untrained eye and registered subconsciously. When Cole acted, no one knew what he was really feeling. There was no way for them to know otherwise.

But sometimes, his façade crumbled and others could see right through it. Through his blurry vision, Cole could see Zane nudge Kai to get him to stop talking and gestured to Cole.

Zane spoke up. "Cole, are you all right? What is troubling you?"

Cole wanted to brush it off, but he'd made a promise to stop lying. So he told the truth.

"What if we missed them?" he asked. "What if they came back to life and never ran into us and then died without us knowing? What if we missed our opportunity to meet them again? What if this is all for nothing, and Kai and Nya are the last ones to come back?"

Silence. There was nothing to say, no reassurance to be offered because there was a possibility of Cole's fears being true. They didn't know how the reincarnation worked—there was even a chance that Kai and Nya were a freak accident and the other ninja would never get the chance to live again.

The meeting came to a close soon after. Before Cole could leave, Kai pulled him to the side and whispered to his ear.

"I'll find out if they've come back or not." His eyes were ablaze with determination, the kind Cole was used to seeing before an important mission. Seeing it now almost gave him whiplash. "I promise."

Cole went home, and for one of the first times since Kai started looking, he tried to find Jay on his own.

A search for 'Jay Walker' brought up different people, traffic laws, and even the odd history website talking about the original Jay Walker. Cole tried to search by image, running one of Jay's pictures through a variety of reverse search engines. Nothing.

"Come on," he whispered to himself after another failed search. "Please be here."

And still, nothing.

Until the end of summer, Nya and Kai had nothing but good news to tell. After Kai's students performed well at nationals, he was invited back to the dojo to coach for another year. Nya was finally accepted into her first-choice program, posting a picture of her acceptance letter on her Chirp because she was so excited and relieved that she wanted to show everyone she knew.

The letter read:

**Welcome to Ninjago City University's Biomedical Engineering Program**

After over a month of school, Nya messaged Cole out of the blue one week before Day of The Departed.

 **nyarai  
** You're looking for Jay, right?

 **flintcole  
** What?

 **nyarai  
** Come on, don't play stupid. I know he's a friend of yours.

 **nyarai  
** I don't think Kai ever told you, but I was invited to join the security team at Borg part-time. I have access to all of our facial recognition software, CCTV cameras, etc. It's pretty cool.

 **nyarai  
** Kai asked me to run a picture of your friend through our scanners. Said he was a childhood best friend or something, and you couldn't find him on the Internet after you had dropped out of school.

Cole groaned. Of course, Kai would eventually turn to Nya.

 **nyarai  
** Anyways, I did exactly what he told me to. 'Cause, you know, I'm a cool sister like that.

 **nyarai  
** I found someone with the exact same face. Maybe he got married and took his partner's family name or something, but whatever the reason, he has a different name than expected.

 **nyarai  
** Your friend is in the city, but his name isn't Jay Walker.

 **nyarai  
** It's Jay Gordon.

Around closing time, Nya arrived with a blue folder in her arms. They moved to the office, where Cole pushed all of his papers off of his desk to make room for all the files Nya was delivering. She spread them out on his desk and went through each one with him.

"These are all of the government files we have on him," Nya began. "I'm sure there's a lot here you already know, but I'll just show you what's what." She gestured to one half of the desktop. "These are all of his adoption files. The city is required to check up on him at least once a year to make sure his parents are treating him well, and he hasn't been transferred yet, so that's a good sign." The gestured to the other half. "These are whatever files were also publicly available. He was either home schooled or went through private school, because we have no information on his academics. Most of these files are medical stuff. Did you remember if he had any medical conditions? He goes to the doctor a lot, apparently."

"I'm not sure, but he was always kind of paranoid. I wouldn't be surprised if he went to the emergency room because he thought his cold was a terminal illness."

She laughed. "Sounds fair. I've got to get going and catch up on homework, but I'll see you around." She waved goodbye, and after permanently changing the course of this lifetime for the second time, walked out like nothing of importance had just occurred.

As soon as he heard the shop's door close, he called Kai and thanked him one million times over—even though he was still a little angry that he'd taken a huge risk with Nya—and by the time their phone call was over, Kai was on his way to the flower shop for an impromptu meeting and Cole was contacting Zane to see if he could come over as well.

By the time the other two had arrived, Cole had already skimmed through each document and was coming up with a plan on how to go about actually finding him. He wanted to get started as soon as possible, because now that he knew Jay had returned too, the thought of waiting even another minute to talk to his dead best friend was unbearable.

But of course, nothing ever really turned out the way he wanted it to.

They began the meeting by looking over all of the files. Jay's parents shared the same full names, Ed and Edna Walker, but were instead listed as adoptive parents. They worked on the assumption that Jay was homeschooled as he had been in the past, and the more they read through Jay's documents, the more they realized that they still knew nothing about him.

Nya had been careful in selecting what she brought to them. There was no location-based information, so if they wanted to find Jay, it would be by name. With Nya's help, they were back at square one, but this time with an advantage: they knew Jay's real name.

"Before we dive into this, I have some good and bad news," Kai said. Cole looked up from the paper he was reading an raised an eyebrow. Kai met his eyes and continued. "My kids all did really well at nationals, so I was invited to a little village on the other end of the Sea of Sand to help set up their own martial arts programs so their students don't have to travel all the way to the city to train. I leave next week, and then I'll be gone for another two weeks before I come home. I know this means a lot to both of you—it means a lot to me, too—but if you want my help, finding Jay will have to wait until next month."

Cole looked at the documents on the table. He saw the promise of his best friend, of someone he cared about so much it would make his heart hurt to think of him for too long. He'd waited three thousand years for him. He could wait another month.

He looked back to Kai and nodded. "Take all the time you need. We'll find him next month."

Kai had never been away from home for more than a few days at a time, so he invited Cole over to help him pack and sort out what he needed to bring. Cole and Kai worked together to dig through his drawers to find all the clothing he would need, and made sure to save room for all of Kai's martial arts equipment in his small suitcase. Cole was always a meticulous person and would fold each article of Kai's clothing before putting them inside, something that made Kai laugh at him because he'd apparently never folded anything in his life.

By the end of the night, Kai was ready to go. He was going to take the train early the next morning and Cole made sure he had a printed and digital copy of his ticket before he let him off the hook and they spent the rest of the night together, hanging out in the living room while Nya studied at the kitchen table in the next room over and occasionally laughed at some of the things they would say.

Cole stood in the doorway before he said goodbye. Kai didn't let him leave until he promised to look after Nya while he was gone, because the small town had little cell reception and he was worried about her being alone for so long with no one to contact if anything went wrong. Cole knew she could handle herself, but went along with what Kai said and made the promise, assuring him he would check in on her every day and make sure she was doing all right. They waved goodbye before Cole left and Kai went away for what would become the longest two weeks of this lifetime.

The next day, Cole sent Nya a message to let her know that she could let him know if she needed help, but he wasn't going to pester her every day for updates. She replied quickly and told him that she would keep it in mind.

On the second day of Kai's absence, she went offline on all social media.

On the third day of Kai's absence, Cole tried to message and call her. His texts were left unread and his calls went straight to voicemail. He found himself growing worried, anxiously wondering if anything had happened to her. By the time the sun had set and Nya had yet to reply, he put on his winter jacket and prepared himself to brave the cold and walk to their house to see if she was there.

He was lacing up his boots when he received a phone call.

" _Is this Cole?"_

"Yes?"

" _Thank you for responding at such a late hour. We would like to request that you come to the emergency ward of Ninjago City Hospital as soon as possible."_

"What? Why?"

" _Nya was admitted yesterday evening after an accident left her with severe injuries. We need a family contact to approve a number of medical procedures that must go underway."_

"I'm not—" the receptionist hung up, and Cole was left with a the dead ringing of a dropped call.

Cole ran his hands through his hair. NCH was on the other side of town and public transit didn't come nearly often enough at night for him to get there as soon as he wanted to. He settled on calling Zane, who never slept and offered to pick him up in a heartbeat when he learned of the situation.

A familiar silver car pulled up in front of his building a few minutes later. Cole left the lobby and sat in the passenger seat of Zane's car, slamming the door a little too hard and sitting completely still as his eyes stared at the dashboard until Zane prodded him and demanded he put on his seatbelt before they began to drive.

Cole tapped his hands rapidly on his legs and chewed on his tongue like gum as the city lights passed by and the memories of his last few visits to the hospital returned and attacked him with anxiety and fear and such a horrible sense of  _dread_ that he couldn't take his mind off of it long enough to respond to Zane's voice as he asked questions Cole was incapable of answering. Zane's voice sounded muffled. Cole didn't think he would have been able to hear him even if he could take his focus away from his friends on their white deathbeds, connected to a million tubes and machines in a room that smelled of lemon and decay.

The car pulled to a stop. Cole peered out the window and saw the white building and leaned forward and buried his face in his hands because he was worried he was going to vomit if he looked at it for too long.

Minutes passed. Cole didn't feel any better.

"It's been three thousand years and I can't bring myself to go inside a hospital," Cole whispered to no one in particular. "I'm a fucking ninja and I can't go inside a stupid building. Why can't I do this?"

"Cole, I understand that they asked for you, but I believe it would be best if I joined you. I don't think you're in any position to go in there on your own."

"No, no, no, no, no, no—you can't. They wanted family."

"You are not related to them, in case you have forgotten."

"But I'm  _human_. I don't look like Nya or Kai but I can at least pretend to be adopted, or something."

"Unlike me?"

"Sorry, I don't mean for it to sound this way, but yes. You couldn't pass for family. I can. I need to do this alone for tonight."

Zane hummed in understanding. The car fell silent again.

More time passed. Cole glanced at the clock in the corner of his vision, watching the minutes tick by. He was wasting time. But he couldn't move.

Bright lights flooded the car. A car horn honked behind them. Cole realized they'd been parked in front of the entrance to the emergency ward for twenty minutes.

Cole unclipped his seatbelt. "I'm going now."

"How are you getting home?"

"I don't know, I'll figure it out," he said. He opened the door. The fresh night air hit his face and he felt his stomach churn again. "Thanks for the lift. I'll let you know how it goes."

He stepped out and closed the door. He sucked in a deep breath—then another, and another, and another—and then made his way inside. Zane only drove away when the glass doors shut behind him. Cole was officially on his own.

The interior of the hospital looked different than he remembered. This provided some comfort as he made his way to the receptionist desk, trying to force back the memories that were apparently trying to kill him.

There were a number of people behind the desk, all of whom looked busy. It took a few seconds for one of them to notice.

"Oh, hi!" one of them said with a smile. "How can I help you? Are you here to visit? You should know our visiting hours ended two hours ago."

"I'm not here to visit, I'm here to—I'm here to approve something for someone named Nya. I was called and asked to come in half an hour ago."

"Ah, I think I know who you're talking about. I'm going to call her nurse. She'll give you all the paperwork you need to fill out."

"Paperwork?" he asked, but the receptionist didn't hear him. She'd already picked up the phone and was speaking to someone over the line.

Cole glanced around, watching the various people streaming through the front hall. There were a number of nindroids as well, but they only filled service positions and were few and far between. Although it was nighttime, it was still busy as ever and the rush of seeing people made him want to vomit all over again.

A voice came from behind. "Hello, are you Cole?"

The nurse had neat, straight hair pinned back into a clean bun. Cole felt more than disheveled in her vicinity.

Cole confirmed his identity, and she invited him to follow her into the ward. It was rather calm inside, but most of the patients were asleep, so not much was happening at this hour. The nurse pulled him into a small office and instructed him to sit down in a chair. She sat across from him on the other side of a metal desk. Cole read her name tag: Naomi M.

"So," she began, "Nya was admitted yesterday night. I am not sure if you have been updated, but she was involved in an automobile accident. She's currently unconscious in a room down the hall."

"An accident?" Cole asked. "What happened?"

"She was struck by an unknown vehicle while walking home last night. The police have yet to find the driver, and at this point, we don't know if they will," Naomi said. "But this isn't what you're here for. Her brother is listed as her emergency contact, but he's unfortunately out of town for the next while. We were able to get into touch with him after calling him for the fifth time, and even then, it was patchy. He told us to contact you—said something about you being her only immediate family in the city.

"We need you to fill out a few forms. We legally cannot operate on a non-consenting patient, so your word trumps her silence in this case. I'm going to ask you a question I hope you know the answer to: Are you her husband?"

Cole hesitated. Naomi raised her eyebrows in faux curiosity; an acting trick Cole could spot from a mile away. She wanted him to lie.

"Are you Nya's husband?" Naomi asked again. "I need a 'yes' or 'no' answer."

Cole didn't hesitate this time.

"Yes. Yes, I am."

There were piles of paperwork. They needed consent to perform a number of operations, of which included more emergency knee surgery. Cole thought back to his conversation with Kai in the Serpentine tomb. Nya already had permanent damage in her knee, would this accident make it worse?

He signed all the papers. During his first lifetime as a ninja, he'd witnessed his friends take serious injuries that they didn't have time to fix, like the time Kai fractured his leg while on a mission and had to continue until the end despite it because it was too dangerous to take any time to do something about it. By the time Kai returned to the bounty, it was swollen and disjointed and he had to take more than three months off to let it rest. If Nya could be helped on time, Cole wasn't about to stop her from getting the treatment she needed.

Cole wasn't allowed to see Nya yet. Naomi told him that he was welcome to stay in the hospital as long as he liked, but visiting hours were technically over and he couldn't hang around in the emergency ward anymore.

The seating area turned into his own personal hell. Over a few hours, his fear of the hospital turned into agitation. The chairs were uncomfortable and none of the games he usually played on his biotech were capable of satiating his boredom. At three in the morning, he contemplated leaving and going for a walk.

He was zipping up his jacket when Zane messaged him.

 **zjfalcon  
** How is it going?

 **flintcole  
** Nya should be fine. She's not critical, but her bad knee took some damage.

 **zjfalcon  
** I hope it will turn out fine. Did they tell you what happened?

 **flintcole  
** Yeah, it was a hit and run. Probably a drunk driver or someone that wasn't paying attention. The police weren't able to catch the car, so the driver is a bit of a mystery.

 **zjfalcon  
** Really? There are no leads?

 **flintcole  
** Nope.

 **zjfalcon  
** Huh.

 **zjfalcon  
** It's late. Do you want me to bring you home?

 **flintcole  
** No, I'll stay here until I find out more tomorrow. Then I'll go home unless something new happens.

 **zjfalcon  
** Okay. Let me know if you need anything. I will contact you again soon.

Despite his discomfort, Cole fell asleep.

He awoke the next morning to Naomi tapping his shoulder.

"Sir, please wake up. I have some news."

Naomi didn't take him to her office. This time, she took him to Nya's room.

Nya was covered to her waist in thick, green blankets. Her arms laid beside her on the bed, unmoving and plugged with a few tubes. Her closed eyes looked towards the ceiling, a neutral expression on her face. Stitches covered a large scar on her left cheek. Bruises covered her visible skin. Patches of white bandages covered what Cole could only assume were gashes and scrapes.

It would be a lie if he said he hadn't seen her in similar conditions. But she was always fighting, always alive. Seeing her here, helpless and vulnerable, reminded him of her past-self's final few weeks in the hospital. He covered his mouth with his hand and looked away.

"Are you all right? If you're squeamish, we can talk somewhere else," Naomi said, pulling him out of his thoughts. "I just assumed you'd want to see her. Since you're married, and all."

Cole turned his head to look at Naomi. "I'm fine. What did you need to tell me?"

Naomi started to speak. Cole found himself staring at Nya's broken body once again.

"She's getting knee surgery later today. After that, we're going to keep her unconscious for three days to let her recover a little. We'll determine how long she needs to stay here when she wakes up."

Cole left soon after. He didn't ask Zane for a lift. He figured he could use the walk to let everything settle.

Nya was going to be unconscious for the next three days. As he came to terms with it during his walk home, it began to rain. It started light, softly pattering the roads around him. By the time he arrived home, it was a storm.

Water crashed down onto the city, creating streams along the curbs of the road that poured into sewers and puddles so wide it would take bursts of airjitzu to cross them. The ocean lapped at the shore, creeping up on the sand dunes that separated the beaches from the hard, concrete streets of the city. Power outages swept the city, taking away electricity and internet and heat during the times people needed it most for hours at a time until their lights came flickering back to life in the dead of night.

During these days, Cole didn't leave his apartment. When he had power, he used the Internet to search for any information about Nya's accident. There had been a few news reports before the extreme weather took over all media, but none had any video clips or images that would help Cole locate whoever had hit Nya. He didn't even know why he was looking. How was he supposed to find them? Even if Nya remembered the car, it wouldn't help the investigation since several hundred more most likely existed in the city. Everything was a dead end.

On the third day, Zane arrived in the morning unannounced at Cole's apartment, clutching the case of Cole's favorite movie in his hand. Cole sighed, smiled a little, and then let him inside.

They spent the day together, cuddled up under a blanket as movies played and rain pelted his windows. After the tiring days he'd had, Cole fell asleep on Zane's lap before the sun set in the sky and when he awoke, Zane was still patiently sitting on his couch, watching whatever was on his TV at a volume so low Cole had trouble picking it up.

"Thank you for being so patient with me," Cole found himself mumbing. "Thank you for being here. I don't know what I would have done if you weren't with me all this time."

Zane ran his hand through Cole's hair, a habit he'd picked up after comparing Cole's habits to that of a cat for so many years. "I should be thanking you. During our early years as friends, I never would have thought I'd have someone to keep me company in my later years. Eternity is lonely—I'm glad we have each other."

Cole got up and showered. Zane and Cole ate breakfast, then drove to the hospital together. Cole tried to get Zane to come inside with him to visit Nya, but the nindroid declined, claiming that Nya would likely feel overwhelmed if more than one person greeted her upon her awakening.

Naomi was in the lobby when he entered. She smiled at him from where she was standing next to the receptionist's desk. She brought him to Nya's room, and before she opened the door, she warned him, "Nya's on some strong pain meds right now. For the next few hours, she'll be pretty honest about everything. Don't take anything she says to heart."

Then she left Cole inside alone and closed the door.

Nya looked up at him. A puzzled look crossed her tired face.

"Where's Kai?"

Cole gulped. "He's in that town teaching martial arts, remember?"

Nya pouted.

"I don't want you. I want my brother."

Cole leaned against the wall. He didn't move any closer to her bed.

"Hey, I wish he was here, too. It would make this less awkward. But he's not here, so both of us will have to make do."

"Fuck, that sucks. I hate you."

"What? Why?"

"I mean, I don't hate you. I like you. Not like-like you, but you're all right, I guess. But you and Kai make me sad and jealous sometimes."

"Why?"

"Because Kai's allowed to know your secret and I'm not. Why can't I know you're a ninja, Cole? Do you hate me? I thought I was one of the cool ninja. Have I changed that much?"

Cole felt his stomach drop. "How did you know?"

"When Kai showed me those pictures of us a couple of years ago, I dug a little deeper—" she pinched her thumb and forefinger together "—and figured it out. The black and white ninja never died. That means you've been alive for all these years, pretending to be a bad florist when you're actually a really, really old ninja master."

"I—"

"No, don't speak. I'm mad at you. I don't want to hear your voice anymore."

Cole closed his mouth and crossed his arms. Nya stared at him, eyes narrowed and blazing with a silent anger he'd only ever seen directed to Kai or Jay when they did something she disapproved of. Cole and Nya had always seen eye to eye. This sudden adversity felt foreign to him.

There was a knock on the door. Naomi entered the room, a sheepish smile on her face.

"Hi, sorry to potentially interrupt your reunion, but we need to move on with our plans for the day." She gestured for Cole to come towards her. "We need to go over her recovery plan alone. You can see each other again later in the day."

"Hold on," Nya called out as Cole was about to leave the room. Naomi poked her head back inside.

"Do you need anything?"

"No, but why does he get to know before me? What makes him so special?"

"Aren't you a med student? I thought you would have known that we go over prognoses with family members alone."

"Family members? What the fuck are you on about?"

"Ouch, rough marriage. I'll come check in on you soon, Nya!"

"Rough marriage? What do you mean rough—"

Naomi pulled Cole through the doorway and shut the door. She laughed for a moment, then regained her composure and took him to her office. Cole sat down in the same chair as last time and watched as she pulled out Nya's file and laid it on the table.

"The surgery was somewhat successful. The surgeons were able to fix her knee, but the damage has been worsened by the accident. She's lost a lot more movement; walking up stairs, getting into cars, climbing things—these will likely become big challenges for her. The nerves in that region also took a hit, but we won't know the effect of the damage on her until she begins to move around a bit.

"Now, we've arranged for six months of physiotherapy. If everything works out, she'll just need to stick on a brace when she goes out for more than a few hours and her nerves won't cause a problem. This is what we hope will happen, but there is always a chance her body won't recover to the extent we want it to. We'll make different arrangements if this is the case."

Cole's fingers tapped his leg as he heard the news. "How often will she be going to physio?"

"Twice a week for two hours at a time. Of course, this will only begin once she's left the hospital. We figured that she'll only need to stay here for another week before she's good to go."

Nya would be released next Monday. This was also the date Kai was returning home.

It was going to be an eventful day.

Naomi instructed Cole to sit in the waiting room as she repeated everything to Nya. Once again stuck in the uncomfortable chairs, Cole texted Zane to update him on the situation. He texted Kai out of courtesy, but figured his messages wouldn't be seen for quite some time.

 **zjfalcon  
** Tell Nya I'm proud of her!

When Cole was allowed inside Nya's room a few hours later, he did exactly what Zane told him to do.

Nya scoffed. "What is he proud of me for? Getting hit by a car?"

Cole shrugged. "He's just a bit awkward with this sort of thing. He's just glad that you're fine."

"I'm glad I'm fine, and I'm also glad that those dumb pain meds are wearing off," she said. She threw her head back on her pillow and groaned. "I cannot  _believe_ I told you that I know your secret. I was waiting for you to tell me because you trusted me. Honest Nya is Bad Nya. I don't like her."

"If I'm going to be honest, I trust you a lot more than I trust Kai with this sort of thing. Not everyone takes it well."

"I can imagine." Nya patted the side of her bed, inviting Cole to sit down. "Come on. Now that we're open with each other, I want you to tell me about yourself. Not the florist version of you, but the real you. The person only Kai and Zane are allowed to know."

Cole sat on the side of Nya's bed.

And then they talked.

In the first lifetime, Cole and Nya didn't speak with each other very often. When Jay wasn't hogging Nya, he was hogging Cole, so the two of them never got to spend much time together. But during Nya's last few months, they spent nearly all their time together. They would sit together and talk about anything, sometimes reminiscing over memories or gossiping about other patients in her ward. Hours were spent in conversation, in building a stronger bond between them that they hadn't quite reached before.

Sitting here on her bed now reminded him of those days in such a way that it made his heart hurt. But he didn't leave. He wanted to build that bond now, when she was young and had decades left to live.

They could become better friends than their past-selves. They just had to put in the effort.

"Sounds to me like your life was really interesting for a while and then got really boring," Nya commented with a smile. "I cannot believe you've been alive for this long. How do you deal with humanity's garbage for over three thousand years?"

"It's kind of like a really long movie," Cole admitted. "I like watching mindsets change. I like watching society change. Everyone dreams of travelling to the future, and I've been given the chance to do it. The travel part just takes a very long time."

The sun set, and after another half hour, Naomi came into the room and forced Cole to leave.

Nya called out to him before he left.

"Go to my house and grab my laptop! I need it to survive!" Cole promised he would and then Naomi closed the door and Cole was escorted from the ward.

 **flintcole  
** So, Nya knows we're ninja.

 **zjfalcon  
** Did you tell her without my permission? :[

 **flintcole  
** She figured it out on her own. She's known since I first started talking to Kai.

 **zjalcon  
** Knowing Nya, I'm not surprised. Thank you for updating me.

The next morning, Cole took public transportation to Kai and Nya's home and input the code to the front door, only for it to beep at him to tell him that the door was already unlocked. He pushed open the door and went inside, his heart sinking as he feared that Nya had forgotten to lock the door and they'd been robbed during her absence.

Nothing was missing. All was the same, except for a pair of shoes he didn't recognize neatly pushed against the wall. He studied them, noting that they were ten years out of style.

"Hello? Who's there?"

An unfamiliar voice. Female. Older, maybe middle-aged. Came from the kitchen down the hall, but still out of sight.

Cole shifted his weight, ready to bolt if needed. Or fight. If his gut feeling was correct, he wouldn't do either, because he already knew who was here.

A woman appeared in the archway that led to the kitchen. Cole recognized her from the photos he'd seen in his first lifetime and those he'd seen in recent times.

Kai and Nya's mom.

Maya.

A kitchen knife held in her clenched fist gleamed in the light.

"Who are you? What are you doing here?"

A wave of conflicting emotions ran through him. The thought of the first Maya brought back fond memories, but the sight of the new one filled him with anger. Kai and Nya's deceased mother, since turned neglector because the universe had a cruel sense of humor and needed to teach Kai and Nya the same lessons as before.

She was a pawn. But she'd still hurt his best friends, and for that, he allowed himself to hate her.

He raised his hands in surrender. He could act his way out of this one.

"Nya sent me here to grab her books for her. She's in an exam right now, and forgot her textbook for her class afterwards. I came to get it for her so she doesn't have to rush through her exam."

Maya took a step towards him. "How do you know my daughter if you're not taking the exam with her? You're not in the same program."

"I'm in microbiology. We have a few shared classes during the first semester."

Maya nodded. She took a step back. Cole heard the blade of the knife clang against the counter. When she drew her hand back and placed it in front of her body, it was empty. She believed his story.

She approached him then, reaching forward and taking his hand to shake it without waiting to see if he would. There was a smile on her face, but there was a coldness to her eyes that told him she wasn't as friendly as she was pretending to be.

"It's nice to meet you. I'm Nya's mother. Call me Maya."

Cole panicked. "My name is Griffin Turner."

"Oh. What a unique name, are you from one of the rural areas? They have all kinds of different names over there."

"I moved when I was really little. I've basically lived here my whole life."

"That explains your lack of dialect," Maya said. "I live on the west coast with my husband, and I can still find myself confused by what some people are saying."

Cole was itching to leave. But he continued to speak. "Why are you on the west coast?"

"Nya's father and I are both anthropologists. It involves a lot of field work, so we're away pretty often. Nya and Kai—her older brother—are strong and independent. Try not to worry, we care about them a lot. We wouldn't leave them alone if we didn't think they could handle it."

Cole could do nothing but stare.  _You made him cry._

"Anyways, I'll let you go find Nya's stuff. Don't want to make you late."

Cole nodded, thanked her, and then bolted up the stairs. As soon as he was in Nya's bedroom, he took a few deep breaths to calm his beating heart. The insistence that they  _cared_ and  _loved_ them while they  _hurt_ them was too familiar to take lightly.

His father was overbearing. Kai and Nya's parents were barely present.

Similar effect—complete and utter detachment.

Cole took her textbooks and put them in the empty backpack on his shoulders. He found her laptop charging next to her bed and put it in as well, then neatly wrapped the charging cable before putting it in as well. Looking around, he located other items she could find useful. Earbuds, an old portable music player that still worked, notebooks, and a pencil case full of writing materials. He also packed the worn-out stuffed lion sitting on top of her pillow.

He made his way down the stairs quietly, but Maya was waiting for him at the door, so his attempt at a quick escape was fruitless.

She smiled again. Her rosy lipstick failed to conceal the cracks in her lips.

"We only got here today, so we're not sure if Nya knows we're here or not. She won't answer her texts. Tell her we're here, won't you? We don't get to see her often and it would be a shame if we missed her before we took off again."

"How long are you here for?"

"Another two days. We leave on Thursday."

Cole nodded. "I'll make sure to tell her. I promise."

During his walk to the light-rail station, he almost vomited.

He rode the train all the way to the hospital. He watched the scenery go by with disinterest, listening to his favorite music as he did to try to keep his mind off of what had just happened. It was the first sunny day this week, so the city looked especially optimistic and cheerful, even if Cole didn't feel the same way. By the end of the ride, he found that staring at the blue sky had made his mood marginally better, although not by much.

Everyone inside the hospital was in a good mood. The nurses and receptionists smiled pleasantly, and even those in the waiting room seemed a little more hopeful than usual.

But not Nya. When Cole entered her room, she was staring out the window, a scowl on her face and an angry look in her eyes. Her arms were crossed over her chest.

She didn't hear him come in. Cole knocked on the wall to get her attention.

"Hey, how's it going?"

She sighed. "Okay, I guess. I'm just annoyed."

Cole kept his distance again, opting to sit against the wall and sink to the floor. He put his bag next to him.

"Why?"

"A couple of cops came in here a few hours ago to ask about what happened. I couldn't really remember much, so there wasn't anything for me to tell them, and they looked really disappointed. I asked them why. They told me that they have no leads on who hit me. I guess I'm not really that mad, it was late at night and I don't exactly wear bright clothing, but it's kind of disheartening to know that whoever did it could have killed me and kept driving. I don't even know if the driver stopped. They just . . . kept going. And they won't fess up, even though I'm alive. The cops also refuse to use the CCTV cams. My case isn't a good enough use of their money, I suppose."

"I did a little searching myself, but there's nothing to find. If I was better with technology I probably could have found something, but my knowledge is kind of locked back in ancient times."

Nya pointed to Cole's bag. "Did you bring my laptop?"

Cole brought it her. He kneeled next to her bed to watch her use it, and she tilted the screen in his direction. Her computer connected to the Internet immediately.

"Since Borg and the hospital are connected facilities and I'm a Borg employee, I get their good Internet. Fastest in the country.. None of that garbage for guests." She opened an app on her laptop, one titled  **BCONT** that displayed a number of different number sequences. She clicked one. Then her computer changed entirely. The operating system was different, as well as the language and time. She opened up the browser as Cole attempted to figure out what had just happened.

"What did you do?"

"Basically, I pay money to people that let me remotely access their computers. Then that computer remotely controls another, and then another, and then another until I'm accessing the Internet through a few different computers. Borg hates it, and it causes a lot of trouble for us when we try to catch hackers. It's kind of funny—when you learn how to secure the Internet, you learn how to break it, too."

"That sounds vaguely illegal."

"Your existence in this century sounds vaguely illegal. Suck it up."

Nya typed in a URL in the address bar. A blank screen came up in her browser. Using one finger, she pushed her screen back. In the bottom corner, a faint number five could been seen against the otherwise white background. She pulled her screen back and the number disappeared. She opened a new tab and went to another website, this time Chirp. She typed into the search bar what appeared to be a random sequence of letters and numbers. A number of Chirp handles came up in the results.

**qMPxjCRpPbU1**

**qMPx2jCRpPbU**

**qMPxjCRpP3bU**

**qMPxjC4RpPbU**

**qM5PxjCRpPbU**

**qMPxjCRpPb6U**

She selected the one with the number five hidden in its handle. The account seemed to tweet nothing but senseless garbage, but Nya knew better. She selected the pinned Chirp—one made that morning—and clicked 'inspect', bringing up the coding behind that specific element of the page. In the fifth line of code, there was another random sequence of letters and numbers. She highlighted it and copied it to her clipboard.

She returned to the blank page. In the address bar, she added a slash onto the end of the URL and pasted the sequence. Then she hit 'enter'.

A different web page opened, this time a real website. It contained a number of links, each leading to a variety of message boards. Nya clicked on the one titled:

[cep - current_events_politics](https://i.imgur.com/dCh0Mwc.png)

Cole only caught a glimpse of the page before Nya began to create her own post. The single page he saw filled him with dread.

"Nya, what website is this?"

"One full of bad people. We're not supposed to monitor websites at Borg, but we tend to keep an eye on this one, no matter what the law says. People come on here anonymously shittalk groups of people they don't like. The majority if it is just guys hating on girls, though. It's kind of like a preschool playground but for grown-ups that never got into touch with society."

Nya created her post.

 **> ANON67283 **this dumb bitch got hit by a car last week. i wanna see it happen. did anyone get a pic or vid?

 **> ANON239 **kek did she die

 **> ANON67283 **nah

 **> ANON239 **rip

 **> ANON9586 **did she have short black hair and leather jacket

 **> ANON239 **that is 2/3 girls in ninjago city how the fuck do you determine someones id from that

 **> ANON67283 **she had short black hair but idk about the jacket

 **> ANON9586 **i think i know what ur talking about  
**> ANON9586 **it happened right outside my apartment  
**> ANON9586 **i have a security cam that faces the street outside my balcony door just in case  
**> ANON9586 **the driver did stop for a sec after making contact so i got a clear pic  
**> ANON9586 **since im not moron that buys low quality shit, my cam caught everything. even the license plate.  
**> ANON9586 **you want the vid file?

 **> ANON67283 **yes pls that would amazing

 **> ANON9568 **dm me

**-ANON67283 has opened a private chatroom!-**

**-Messages are encrypted end-to-end. Conversation will be deleted 24 hrs after closure. Other users will be notified if screenshots are taken-**

**> 67823: **do you have a link? im not downloading anything you send me

 **> 9586: **ur smart but naive

 **> 9586: **you can have a link

 **> 9586: **but you gotta pay for it

 **> 67823: **how

 **> 9586: **meet up with me

 **> 9586: **and bring cash

 **> 9586: **none of that traceable etransfer shit

 **> 67823: **where do you want to meet up?

 **> 9586: **meet me here: [[link]](https://i.imgur.com/I3qbj9S.png)

 **> 9586: **not to sound like a drug dealer but come alone

 **> 9586: **will arrange time and price later

**-ANON9586 has closed the chatroom!-**

Nya groaned. "Smart-ass."

"What did he do?"

"He's testing my determination, or whatever. I need to keep this session open until he talks to me. If I stop using my computer reroute or close the page, I'll have lost my handle. I won't be able to talk to him. He'll probably only talk to me in a couple of days from now."

"Well, it's a good thing you're stuck in the hospital and aren't expected to be up and doing anything."

Nya smirked. "You're right. This should be easy."

The waiting game had begun. Nya set up her laptop so it wouldn't automatically fall asleep, and then Cole took her charger from his bag and found an empty outlet to plug it into. Nya set a timer on her laptop, one that would count the hours and days and minutes since they'd made the deal. Cole wasn't quite sure why, but she said that she liked to be on top of timings and such things. Cole didn't question it further.

They set the laptop down on the floor so they could go through everything Cole had brought for her. She took the bag and put it on her lap so she could dig through it herself. She pulled out her textbooks and notebooks, setting them aside first so she could go deeper. She laughed at the sight of the music player, telling Cole that she hadn't used it since middle school and it was full of music she found a little embarrassing now. Embarrassing or not, she turned it on and put it on shuffle, letting the older pop and over-emotional rock music fill the gaps of silence in their conversation and provide nostalgic music Cole could recognize but didn't really know the words to.

But Nya did. She held the same level of confidence as her past-self, but it was placed elsewhere—she no longer held confidence her abilities, but in herself as an individual. Cole could remember her reluctance to embrace parts of her people looked down on, her rejection of anything that would cause anyone to see her as anything but strong and brave. Anything remotely embarrassing, like singing with an untrained voice, was something she would have avoided with all her might. It seemed that now, she no longer cared. She laughed as she sang, and when Cole refused because he didn't know the words, she playfully slapped his arm in feigned anger.

Nya stuck her arm into the bag again and took out the stuffed lion. She cooed at it upon sight, then brought it to her chest for a tight hug. "I cannot  _believe_ you brought Optimus Prime. I missed him so much."

"Optimus Prime? Are you serious?" Cole asked with a laugh.

Nya glowered at him. "I was five years-old, okay? I don't think anything is cooler to a five year-old than a lion named Optimus Prime. You try to come up with a better name right now, huh?"

"Okay, let's go simple. Sim—"

A notification from Nya's laptop rang out over the music.

Cole leaned down and grabbed the laptop. Nya took it from his hands and put it on her lap, once again angled towards Cole so he could see it.

But the notification didn't come from the website. It came from a messaging app.

 **Mom  
** Honey, where are you? Your friend told me he would tell you to come home. Don't you want to see us?

Nya snapped her head to look at him. "Did you meet my mom? Was she home when you got my stuff?"

"She was home," Cole said. "We only talked for a little bit before I left, though."

"Does she know I'm here?" Her voice was sharp.

"No."

And then the tension dissipated.

"Oh, thank goodness," Nya said. She sighed. "Thanks for not telling her. The last thing I need is for them to come here and try to dote on me for a few days before they leave again."

Cole raised an eyebrow at her tone. "You seem a little less excited at the prospect of seeing them than Kai ever was."

"Not to make fun of Kai or anything, but he was a total suck-up to our parents. He'd had more time to bond with them than I did, so I guess he kind of always misses them, even now," she said. "But I never really got to know them. It's hard to describe it, but they always . . . they felt like babysitters. They didn't feel like they were my real parents."

Nya reached forward to put her fingers on the keyboard.

 **nyarai  
** Can't. See you next time.

On Friday, the rain returned. It began in the early morning, disrupting the predicted forecast of sunny skies and returning Ninjago City to its previously grim mood. Cole wore a rain jacket when he went outside, walking to the flower shop for the first time in days. Nya had insisted he go back, telling him that she would talk to her friends from school on her laptop to chase away boredom during his absence and that she would update him if the video guy got back to her.

It was a slow day. No one was ever in the mood for flowers on rainy days, so he holed up in his office and took out Jay's files from the drawer in his desk. Ignoring the adoption-related papers, he spread out the medical reports Nya had found in Borg's system. For a moment, Cole wondered if Nya was supposed to have access to this information or not. Would she have offered up Jay's medical history to someone she didn't believe had a history with him? If Cole was any other person?

No. Definitely not.

There were many reports, the majority depicting the same scenario over and over: Jay arriving in the hospital, experiencing symptoms, and then the doctors failing to come to any final conclusion on his problems.

Nausea. Lightheadedness. Fainting.

Jay had never had these problems on a regular basis before. What had changed?

The question occupied his thoughts well into the weekend, chasing away all else as a familiar feeling of dread grew present in his belly and he felt nothing but  _worry_ and  _stress_ for someone he'd never met but knew like the back of his hand. Someone he loved and missed so much that at times it ached and now that Jay was in his grasp he missed him more than ever and he would give anything to just  _meet him again._

On Sunday, Nya cried. Cole had slept in and only arrived later in the day, and when he did, Nya was furiously punching at her keyboard and there were tears streaming down her red cheeks.

"There was a new nurse today," Nya told him. "They didn't know not to touch my laptop. They closed the screen and set it to the side. I lost my session with the website. I can't talk to the guy anymore."

For the next hour, Cole tried his best to comfort her. He would speak empty words, promising Nya that everything would be all right and they could still find the guy if they tried hard enough. Nya nodded along, but he could see her frustration. She didn't like losing—didn't like giving up. Nothing Cole said would be enough right now.

Cole stuck around until visiting hours were over, doing his best to start conversation but he knew Nya's attention lay elsewhere. Before he left for the night, Nya spoke up.

"Don't tell Kai we tried to find the guy that hit me."

"Why not?"

"Because if you do, he'll try to find him himself."

"Do you seriously think he'd be able to find him?"

"Maybe. But I don't want him to find him. I want to catch that motherfucker myself."

Kai was due to return the following day. Cole was elated at the thought of reuniting with his friend, and found himself grinning when Kai's messages came in around midday.

 **kai_fire13  
** IHAVE SERVICE AGAIN

 **kai_fire13  
** i have so many fun stories to tell you holy shit

 **kai_fire13  
** but first im gonna see nya

 **kai_fire13  
** oh fuck gotta go, i could only msg you bc we'd pulled into a small town on the way back to the city

 **kai_fire13  
** back to the empty abyss of the countryside i go

 **kai_fire13  
** ttyl dude

Cole and Nya tracked Kai's train on the company's website, watching it make its way through various towns until it pulled into Ninjago City's train station. On his way to the hospital, Cole had stopped by Nya's house to pick up some clothes so she'd have something to change into on her release day. She changed after his arrival, sporting jeans and an old 'Ninjago MMA National Championships' t-shirt with peeling letters that looked like it had seen years of use. She was unplugged from all machines, and a new knee brace given by the hospital was secured to her leg. Her injuries were healed, but a scar remained on her left cheek. Naomi had warned them that there was no certainty it would heal well, and it seemed her guess was correct.

Kai arrived in the afternoon. He'd come straight from the train station, so he dropped his bag on the floor when he opened the door and darted across the room to lift Nya into a hug. He dropped her back down onto her bed and then pivoted to face Cole. They fist-bumped.

Kai turned back to face Nya. "You doing all right?"

She shrugged. There was a smile on her face. "I'm doing pretty okay, now. Can we go already? I'm sick of this place."

Kai laughed. "Yeah, sure. Let's get out of here."

Zane was busy, so they took a cab home. Cole went along with them so he could explain Nya's recovery plan to Kai on the way, and they went their separate ways when the cab arrived at their home so Kai and Nya could have some alone time after what was probably a very stressful week on both of their parts.

Later that night, when Nya was in bed early so she wouldn't be tired for her first day of school, Kai video called Cole to talk about his time teaching in the rural town.

" _Okay, so like, I was originally kind of worried that I was going to be super bored during my spare time because I had no Wi-fi and no friends, right? But the kids were super cool. The oldest one was sixteen, and I hung out with him all the time, even if he was kind of lame. He just liked to play video games, so I watched him play a lot but sometimes he'd pull out this fighting game and teach me how to play."_

"So, he taught you virtual fighting and you taught him real fighting?"

" _Yeah, you're right,"_ Kai said. " _On the last night, all my kids—"_

"Your kids."

" _My kids, yeah. They threw me this little party, and they made me this huge cake as payment for being there, or whatever. You could tell it was made by a bunch of kids though, because they'd used a million different frosting colors and just thrown sprinkles all over it. It was cute."_

"Did they only pay you in cake?"

" _Yeah, I guess,"_ Kai said. " _It was kind of like volunteering—I did it for free. My own dojo pays me pretty well, and since I'm some A-list coach now I could probably demand for a lot more, but I don't. Sports shouldn't be only for those that can afford it, you know? It kind of ruins the spirit if good fighters can't compete because they don't make enough money."_

"Are you going to keep doing stuff like this?"

Kai shifted. He was lying prone on his bed, his chin in his hands. He looked pensive as he replied, " _Sure, why not? I train my regular kids hard enough that they deserve little breaks from me here and there."_

"You're a good person, Kai."

" _I'm a ninja, aren't I?"_

Cole rolled his eyes but couldn't stop the cheesy grin that spread to his face.

Nya's first few days back at university went well. She and Cole communicated regularly now, messaging between her classes and during her breaks. She was never as active during the evenings, spending her time studying to catch up with her classes and stay on top of her work.

Cole returned to the flower shop regularly. As things settled back into routine, he organized meetings with Kai and Zane to begin their official search for Jay. Finding free time during Kai's busy schedule was difficult, but they succeeded in planning something for next Saturday when everyone was free.

Cole was excited and nervous. He wanted to find Jay. He wanted to know more about him.

But he knew Jay was sick. And that scared him.

During Nya's second week back, Cole got a message from Kai.

 **kai_fire13  
** nya asked me to pick her up from school for some reason but I cant cause im in the middle of a lesson. can you do it?

 **flintcole  
** Sure, no problem.

He found Nya sitting on the steps to her school's main entrance, clutching an umbrella as the winter rain fell around her. She wasn't crying, but something was wrong. She was wincing.

She looked up at the sound of his voice.

"Are you okay? What's up?"

She looked down again. "Kai sent you, didn't he?"

"Yeah. Do you mind?"

"I guess not."

"Do you want to talk about what's wrong while we walk home?"

"That's the problem, Cole."

"What is?"

"I can't walk home."

Nya wound up at the hospital again three hours later. Cole and Kai waited together as she saw a doctor, this time in a different ward: the pain centre. When the doctor came out to go over her prognosis Cole and Kai nodded and pretended to understand but didn't really because neither of them had even been very good at science, so when they got a lift with Zane on the way back home, Nya had to explain everything for them so they could understand in simpler terms.

"They think my nerves might be sending off fake pain signals," she explained. "The nerves think my knee is still injured, even though it's not. But it may go away soon as I do more physio. The only thing we can do is wait and see."

And so, the second waiting game began.

To make it easier, Nya accepted lifts to and from school from Zane and found her old crutches to use again while she moved between classes. Her physiotherapist adjusted their program and for a while, the pain wasn't too bad, given that she didn't walk. Things returned to a routine and they could learn to accept it.

In this acceptance, they held meetings for the search for Jay. They revealed to Kai that Nya had figured out they were ninja—he was angry because he'd wanted to tell her himself but like Zane, wasn't very surprised in the end—and officially invited her to their meetings. Since Jay was presumably identical, they wouldn't need to use new photos of him, but they needed to figure out where he lived and what he did in his free time if he wasn't anywhere on social media. Kai began to search for 'Jay Gordon' in place of 'Jay Walker', and Nya poured over his medical reports to search for any noticeable patterns they could exploit to uncover any information on him. Cole and Zane, feeling rather useless during this search, cheered them on from the sidelines.

Jay became a waiting game, too. Cole didn't know how much patience he had left within him.

In the midst of this newfound frustration, Cole re-visited the website Nya had shown him. He signed up for a free-trial for a VPN so he wouldn't be caught, and followed the steps Nya had in order to gain access. Once on the website, he scrolled through several days' worth of content until he came across Nya's post on the current events page.

The dealer's comments caught his eye.

 **> ANON9586 **i think i know what ur talking about  
**> ANON9586 **it happened right outside my apartment  
**> ANON9586 **i have a security cam that faces the street outside my balcony door just in case  
**> ANON9586 **the driver did stop for a sec after making contact so i got a clear pic  
**> ANON9586 **since im not moron that buys low quality shit, my cam caught everything. even the license plate.  
**> ANON9586 **you want the vid file?

A camera outside a balcony door.

A physical marker.

**[sent at 23:14]**

**flintcole  
** How's your knee?

 **nyarai  
** I'm chugging ibuprofen by the bottle, so it's tolerable.

 **flintcole  
** Can you sneak around on it?

 **nyarai  
** Weird question, but probably.

 **flintcole  
** Meet me outside your place in an hour.

 **flintcole  
** And wear dark clothes.

Cole didn't wear his ninja garb—it would catch too much attention—but wore comfortable black clothes, a face mask to conceal his identity, and a bandana to keep his bangs out of his eyes. Nya came out in similar attire, wearing not only a mask but also heavy eye makeup that almost made her look like a different person. In her gloved hands was a USB, something she promised to explain to Cole on the way there.

To ease stress on her knee before they arrived, Cole piggy-backed her all the way there. She gave him directions, telling him where to turn or continue walking until they arrived at the collision site. It was a residential area full of small condo buildings and duplexes, notably made of bricks and stone rather than metal. It was in an older, preserved part of the city—one that had refused to to create its buildings out of new metal like the others.

They stopped on the sidewalk. Nya climbed down and faced him. She put the USB in his hands and closed them with her own, holding onto them as she explained. "This is called a rubber ducky," she said. Her voice was deep, serious. She continued. "It disguises itself as a keyboard so any computer will accept its contents. I've coded it to install a keyboard logger on his computer. This way, I'll get a feed of whatever he types onto my own computer. We can use this to figure out passwords, addresses, locations, or whatever we need. With this info, I can figure out who he is and blackmail him into giving me the plate number."

"And he would do that?"

" _No one_  wants to be known for browsing that website. He'll do whatever I say to keep that part of him hidden from his public life."

Smart. Devious. Probably a little illegal.

But he supposed justice wasn't always feasible through legal means.

They wandered out onto the crosswalk. Cole activated his night vision and peered around, scanning the nearby buildings until his eyes landed on a balcony with a noticeable black bump sticking out of its back wall. It was on the third floor—a little hard for someone like Nya to climb without aid.

"I'll need to carry you up there," Cole said. He pointed to the balcony so Nya could see it. "It'll be impossible for you to get up there on your own."

"Go without me," Nya said. When Cole started to protest, she interrupted him to speak again. "I don't have a vendetta against this guy. If something goes wrong, I don't want to slow you down and blow our only lead. Get this guy on your own. I'll go with you to the real target."

Cole nodded. And then he began to climb.

Three stories was nothing to him, so he hauled himself up the balconies and bricks with ease. Once he stood on the balcony, he dug into his pockets for lock picks with one hand and then gave the balcony door a tug with his other just to see if it was unlocked.

It slid open with no resistance. For someone so paranoid they had a camera outside their door, this was a little surprising. Cole took it as a blessing and stepped inside quietly, making no noise as he put his weight onto the wooden floor of the apartment. It was an old building, so he made sure to walk near furniture so the floor wouldn't creak as he made his way through what appeared to be the living room. The lights were off. He hoped the person was asleep. And their computer wasn't in their bedroom.

Luck was on his side again, because in a small room off to the side of the living appeared to be a computer room. Three monitors screamed 'gamer' at him as he approached, careful with his footsteps as he crossed the empty floor. When he reached the computer, he pulled the rolling chair out of the way and kneeled down to get a look at the computer case held in a separate compartment in the desk. There was a visible USB port in the side. He took Nya's rubber ducky and plugged it in.

The computer screens turned on, emitting bright light into the room. He squinted to continue looking at the screen. A small window popped up, only a black box until white script began to fill it. It was over in a minute. The window closed. Cole removed the USB and backed out of the room.

He crept across the floor and exited onto the balcony. He closed the sliding door and vaulted over the railing.

A three-story fall wasn't much for a ninja. He landed, rolled once, and then stood. Nya was nowhere in sight.

"Ny—"

"Shut up, I'm over here."

She was sitting against the man's building, out of sight of the balcony camera. Smart move. Even in this new life, her field intelligence was still strong. She'd always been a natural.

On the way back, Nya began to laugh into his shoulder as she held onto his back.

"I understand why Kai used to do this stuff with his friends," she said. "It's pretty fun."

"It's also illegal."

" _You're_ illegal. Do you even pay taxes?"

"Why do you keep assuming I'm illegal? If anything, I'm extra-legal. Do you know how many times I've saved this stupid city, let alone the country?"

"I think you mean to say, 'How many times  _we_  saved the city'."

"Yeah, okay. Sure."

It wasn't like she was wrong.

"I found someone that knows Jay," Kai said at their next meeting. He showed everyone screenshots of his conversation with someone that claimed to be Jay's old classmate.

 

"He went to LLC? Ugh, I hate those kids," Nya said. There was a look of mild disgust on her face.

"What's LLC?" Cole asked.

"It's awful," Nya said. "It's very competitive, and students are basically pitted against each other in some kind of messed up academic deathmatch. It costs a lot of money to go there, and they're not exactly afraid to kick you out if your grades slip, either. It's not uncommon to hear about students sabotaging each other so they can get higher marks than average on a math test or something."

"But Jay is there on a scholarship," Zane said. "What does that mean?"

"It means he's probably pretty smart," Nya replied. "I didn't even know they gave out scholarships. I thought it was pay-only. Was he like this before?"

"He was a bit of a genius," Cole admitted. "But only with this kind of stuff. He couldn't plan missions to save his own life."

"Sounds like a typical LLC student," Nya said.

Kai and Nya high-fived.

Grey clouds crowded the sky and blocked out the sun and a cold snap gripped the city, plunging its temperature into the negatives for the first time in over a decade. Cole dug into his closet to find his warmer clothes and Zane didn't change at all, apparently finding the sudden cold comforting. Kai chose to vent about the weather on Chirp.

****

But with sudden weather changes came a new challenge for Nya. She disappeared off of social media, and didn't respond to any texts Cole sent her way. He brushed it off, assuming she was busy studying, and continued about his week, yawning out of boredom in the flower shop and checking his message notifications every few minutes  _just in case_ she'd gotten back to him. But she never did.

Four days into the cold snap, he got a message. He perked up and opened his inbox.

His enthusiasm deflated when he saw it was only a message from Kai.

 **kai_fire13  
** sorry to keep doing this but are you busy

 **flintcole  
** No one buys flowers in the winter so no, not really.

 **kai_fire13  
** cool can you go to my house

 **flintcole  
** Do you need me to pick something up for you?

 **kai_fire13  
** nah i need you to check on nya

 **kai_fire13  
** i thought she was in school but her friends just texted me to ask if she was okay

 **kai_fire13  
** apparently she's not responding to messages and lied to me about being in class

 **kai_fire13  
** shes been at home for the past four days

 **flintcole  
** I'll head over now.

The front door creaked as he opened it. Cole stepped inside Kai and Nya's home, closing the door behind him. He checked the basement, finding nothing but the broken coffee table and empty carpet. They'd never cleaned up after Kai's training sessions. It all felt like it was so long ago.

The main floor was empty as well. This left only one other option.

Cole knocked on Nya's bedroom door.

"You're not Kai, are you?" came Nya's voice.

"How'd you know?"

"He never knocks. It's actually a really bad habit," she said. "But he asked you to come, didn't he?"

"He's just worried. He's always been like this."

"Well, he can fuck off. He doesn't need to have you babysit me. I'm an adult. I know what I'm doing."

"Nya, can I come in?"

"Only so I can say something to your face."

Cole opened the door. Nya sat on her bed, her left leg stretch out in front of her. She wore shorts despite the cold temperature. Her hair was wild and greasy, like she hadn't brushed or washed it in a few days and her school books were scattered across the floor as though they'd been thrown around.

"Do you know what a pain flare is, Cole? Because I just found out," she began. "Sudden changes in temperature make my knee feel like it's on fire. Isn't that amazing? And now you're standing in my room, staring at me mid-breakdown and reminding me of everything I hate about myself. You're this . . . ageless ninja master and you stare at me with familiarity in your eyes and it kills me. It kills me, Cole, because when you look at me, you see a ninja just like yourself. Someone that could control the sea, scale buildings, fight monsters—someone that could walk up a flight of stairs without taking a break because it  _hurts_   _so much_.

"I wish I could be that person. I wish I could be the person you expect me to be. But I can't do the things you or Zane can. I can't do the things Kai can do. I used to be a better fighter than him.  _I_ was supposed to be at nationals. But instead, it was only him. I had that dream taken away from me. When you and Zane stepped in my life, I hoped I could join you. My knee was good enough to start fighting again if I practiced. But that was stolen from me, too. My grades are dropping. Every time I work hard for something, I lose it. I have no control. Why bother anymore? Why should I put any effort into anything if it'll just fall apart?"

"Nya, I—"

"No. I have only one request for you, black ninja: kindly escort yourself out of my house. And don't come back."

A knot tied itself in his stomach and never went away. It continued into the spring, when the flowers began to bloom and the clouds finally left the sky. The days went by slowly, dragging on for an eternity before the sun finally disappeared and Cole had an excuse to go to bed. He would often lay awake at night, eyes staring at nothing as he thought of anything that came to mind but Nya was always an undercurrent, poisoning his thoughts and feelings with guilt over something he knew he couldn't control but wished he had stopped nonetheless.

Kai did his best to comfort him—"She doesn't hate you, she just hates who you are"—but it never worked. Cole supposed he would just have to accept it. There was nothing he could do.

Mother's Day approached. Cole found himself busier than ever, ordering flowers and getting his displays ready for one of the most high-demand holidays of the year. There was no longer time to review Jay's documents or spend his time playing games, and he was almost thankful for the distraction from his personal life even if it was only due to last a week.

On the holiday itself, the shop was packed from opening hours until a lull in the early evening. Most people were celebrating with their families, so Cole took a small break to catch a breather when no one was present in the shop. Worried about missing a customer if he turned on his biotech, he played with a coin left in the tip jar, flipping it and spinning it on the table like a bored child.

He fumbled the coin and it fell to the floor. He leaned down to get it and the bell above his door ringed, signalling that someone had entered the shop.

"Uh, hello? Is anyone here?"

On the way up, Cole smacked the back of his head on the counter corner. He rubbed the back of his head and looked up at the visitor.

Auburn hair. Freckles. Blue eyes.

"Whoa, are you okay? That looked pretty rough."

Cole couldn't speak.

"Heh, you're pretty quiet. I respect that. I work customer service jobs, too. Being nice to customers  _sucks_." He approached the counter. He looked around and then back to Cole. "Cute shop. I'll just pick something and get out of your hair. Don't worry 'bout me. Pretend I'm not even here."

He made that pretty difficult.

". . . what's the difference between all these flowers, anyways? They all look the same but have different labels. You must have the memorization skills of a god. More respect to you, dude."

He finally picked something. He gently placed the bouquet on the counter as to not damage the petals.

"You're probably wondering why I'm here so late. Okay, it's a bit of a long story. Obviously, it's Mother's Day. I forgot," he began. "I forget every year. It's a really, really bad habit. I forget everything, now that I think about it. I can't remember a time when I actually called someone on time for their birthday. It's  _always_ the day after! But maybe I just can't remember the times when I actually  _did_ remember. Anyways, this is beside the point. I forgot to get my mom something. Normally, I'd just show up with nothing because they always tell me, 'You know Jay, you don't need to give us anything but a big hug' but do you see what time it is? It's late afternoon, almost dinner. Do you know what I was doing this morning? I was sitting alone in my dorm, wearing nothing but boxers, and stuffing my face with microwavable mac n' cheese while playing video games on the floor. Sunday Blues hit me hard, okay? But yeah, I completely forgot about Mother's Day because I was busy being a useless piece of shit all day. Then my dad called me and asked where I was. I was like, 'Why do you even care? I'm like, sixteen. You can stop coddling me now, thanks'. He got kinda mad at me because  _apparently_ I'd missed Mother's Day. Classic. Wonderful. Thanks, Jay, for disappointing your parents for the millionth year in a row. And get this: they live two hours out of the city. I have a two hour bus ride ahead of me. I'm literally going to miss dinner. Not only am I going to be stuck in a bus, starving, for two hours, but I'm going to be stuck in this bus knowing that I'm driving to my own death. My father is going to kill me. My  _mom_  is going to kill me. So yeah, I need some flowers to make up for it."

Jay dug into his pocket, put a bill on the counter, and then walked out.

Cole snapped out of his trance. He ran through the store, almost knocking over a display in a rush to catch Jay before he disappeared. He threw open the door.

Jay was nowhere to be seen. In a matter of seconds, he'd become one with the sea of crowds travelling the city streets.

" _You mean to tell me that Jay walked into your shop, talked to you for five minutes, bought flowers, and then left and you_ didn't do anything _?"_ Kai demanded over a voice call. " _I cannot believe you. I've just lost two years off my lifespan. This is what you do to me, Cole."_

Kai came over to the flower shop that evening. Together, they combed through the security camera footage to search for any kind of hints regarding his personal life. Jay carried a brown messenger bag, and a number of pins lined its single strap over hanging from his shoulder. Cole couldn't recognize them. But Kai could.

"These are video game pins. They're characters from that fighting game the sixteen year-old from the rural town made me play with him." Kai pointed to one pin. It was a red with a single black line cutting across at a diagonal. "This one is a little different. Skylor has one on her training bag. She said it's some kind of linguistic pride emblem. He said he was from the Sea of Sand, right? Checks out."

Cole paused the video. There was a grin on Jay's face as he spoke to Cole over the counter.

He would find Jay soon. He would track him down and become friends with him again.

He missed that stupid smile.

Nya called him three days later. Her voice was hoarse, like she'd been crying. " _Hey. Come over. We need to do something."_

Nya was waiting for him in her driveway, sitting crossed-legged in front of her open garage. Cole had never seen its interior. A motorcycle rested inside, a layer of dust settled on top. Cole could remember Kai mentioning that Nya hadn't used it since her first accident.

"I got a call from the pain clinic today. I tested positive, so yay for me, and I'm also barely passing my university courses, so another yay for that, and now that I've isolated myself for a couple of months I think it's time for me to do something about my life."

She stood up. Cole pretended not to notice her wince.

She wandered over to the garage. She plucked a helmet off of a hook and passed it to Cole. Cole caught it and stared at Nya inquisitively.

"What are you doing?"

Nya pulled another helmet off a hook. She put it on.

"I'm facing my fears. And you're going to help me."

Cole sat behind her on the motorbike. Nya instructed him to wrap his arms around her waist and lean in close. She revved the engine. Then they took off.

At first, she drove slow. A few cars honked as she pulled onto busier streets, urging them to go faster and obey the speed limits posted on the sides of the roads. She didn't give in but Cole could feel her clench at each honk that ripped through the air. When she turned onto the highway, a national road that stretched across the country, she picked up speed. She zipped past cars and trucks and other motorbikes, weaving through traffic with so much control and precision that Cole found it hard to believe she could have been in a motorcycle accident to begin with.

They didn't drive for long. Twenty minutes out of the city, she turned around and headed back. But she didn't take them back home. She parked in front of Borg Industries, which had over time become a series of building spanning two city blocks in the heart of downtown She brought him along inside, leading him through its bright halls and into a larger room with several computers and workstations. She stopped and sat down at one of the computers, logging in and then opening a file filled with random strings of text Cole couldn't understand upon looking at them.

"This is the keyboard logger," Nya explained. "It's rooted in my laptop, but I shared it to my work computer so I could monitor it at work. Pull up a chair and sit down—I think it's about time we cracked this case together."

Cole sat down and watched her sift through the contents of the logger. She continued to explain as she did.

"I'm searching for passwords. They usually come after e-mails. I can grab his log-in info, then check what URL he entered to figure out which website the password and e-mail are for. Pretty cool, huh?"

"That's scary. You're scary."

"Please. You're some kind of pseudo-immortal with supernatural powers that, for the most part, have disappeared from Ninjago.  _That_ is scary." She paused. "You and Zane are the only Elemental Masters left, aren't you?"

"We think so. We kept tabs on the others, and the last known Elemental Master died with no kids about four hundred years-ago."

"I wish I had had those powers. It must be really cool."

"It has its ups and downs. You know the green ninja? Everyone was always trying to steal his powers. It sucked for him  _and_ for us because we had to keep rescuing him."

Nya began to laugh. "That's everyone's favorite joke in history class. We learn about you other ninja a little bit, but focus mostly on the green one. Our history textbook had a five-page compilation of all the times he got kidnapped. I feel kind of bad to laugh about it in front of you, but man, it was pretty funny to just flip through the book and read it. Poor kid had such a hard time."

Cole frowned at the memory. "Yeah, it was pretty rough."

Nya re-focused on the screen. She created a collection of information regarding the log-in information. She logged into his accounts, then collected information on his person. The man's name was Jack. Thirty-six years-old. Ran a thrift store in the east end of the city. Spent his free time on the Internet.

They did one last sweep check of the man's activity from the past few weeks. Then something caught their eye.

 **14:43:21 > IN BROWSER > "https://www.confessanon.com" >  
 **whats_the_worst_thing_ive_ever_done?

 **14:45:57 >IN BROWER > " **https://www.confessanon.com" >   
****i_was_driving_home_and_some_chick_in_black_suddenly_started_to_cross_the_road._i_rammed_into_her._didnt_fess_up_to_it.

 **14:46:30: > IN BROWSER > " **https://www.confessanon.com** "  
 **i_tried_to_scam_someone_into_paying_me_for_footage_of_the_accident_that_i_didnt_have_by_pretending_my_security_cam_caught_it_on_tape._i_have_a_cam_but_it_isnt_big_enough_to_capture_the_street_below._poor_sucker_almost_fell_for_it_but_we_lost_contact.

 **14:49:15 > IN BROWSER  > "https://www.confessanon.com"  
 **nah_i_wasnt_caught._law_enforcement_in_the_city_is_a_fucking_joke._nothing_gets_done_because_theres_too_much_underworld_gang_activity_for_cops_to_care_about_anything_on_the_surface.

Their following actions that night were only logical.

After the individual ninja died, their gi were put on display in the history museum. But these gi were fake—copies of the originals to show to the public. The originals were split between Cole and Zane. Zane held onto Kai's and Lloyd's. Cole held onto Nya's and Jay's.

This worked out in his favor.

They got ready in his apartment. Cole dressed up in his own, carefully putting on his old uniform. It always felt comfortable, made him feel like himself again. He missed it, sometimes.

And then Nya changed into hers. It was like something out of a photograph, out of a memory. The magenta and cyan still suited her just as well. Cole's chest tightened. Nya put her hand on his shoulder to comfort him.

"I'm not her. Maybe I act like her. Maybe I look like her. But we're not the same."

"I know. That's the problem."

Cole swallowed his feelings and they took off. Nya climbed onto his back again and Cole made his way through the city over the rooftops, using airjitzu to cross large gaps between buildings and praying each time that the air wouldn't fail him. He felt the air wobble a few times, but it seemed at peace with him today. As they approached Jack's block, they climbed down to the street and travelled through the alleyways to avoid street cameras and other pedestrians.

They reached the man's building. Cole gave Nya a boost and she got up on her own, struggling a little to put weight on her left leg but making it up after a few attempts to heave herself over the balcony's railing. Cole scampered up quickly afterwards.

They peered in through the balcony window. Light streamed into the living room from the computer room.

Nya threw open the balcony door. And then they stepped inside.

Despite a slight limp, she strode confidently across the living room floor. Cole followed quickly behind her. She stopped dead in the doorway to the computer room. Cole looked over her shoulder.

On the computer screen was a livestream of the balcony. In Jack's hand was handgun pointed at Nya's head.

Jack pointed the gun at Cole. "You. You broke into my home, didn't you?"

The familiar voice gave him whiplash. Looking closely, Cole could see his poorly-shaved face, long hair in a ponytail, and dark eyes. His left arm glinted in the computer screen's light. A prosthetic.

It all came together at once.

"Ronin. You're Ronin."

Jack—Ronin—stood up. "How do you know that name?"

"You . . . it's just your name."

"No, it's not. That's my dealing name." Ronin took a step forward. "But it doesn't matter. You're not leaving this apartment alive. Step into the room."

Nya went into the room. Cole didn't follow.

"Step inside. You think I'm afraid to pull the trigger? Don't be an idiot. If you know my name, you know what kind of person I am."

Cole placed his hand on the wall. He could feel the stone foundations of the building, the bricks that supported it. Perfect.

"I don't know much about you, Ronin. I know the person you used to be. You used to be clever. I hope you still are and don't think you can win this," Cole said. He gestured to himself and Nya. "Who do you think we are?"

"I don't know. Cosplayers?"

Nya spoke up. "Wrong. We're actually ninja."

Ronin laughed. "Yeah, okay. The ninja that are still alive don't care about me. They don't care at all anymore. When was the last time they stepped in to do something?"

"They haven't stepped in because they don't  _need_  to," Nya replied.

"What about the Serpentine? Did they deserve what happened to them? Why didn't the ninja step in for them?"

Cole looked away as guilt washed over his body like a wave.

"The Serpentine died due to a computer error," Nya said. "Borg tested a new security system to protect the city in a case of invasion. It closed the vents going down into the tunnels beneath the city. When the trial was lifted, there was a glitch in the system and the Serpentine were locked inside with no air or way to escape. They couldn't contact the outside world. The ninja couldn't have stopped it if they didn't know it was happening in the first place."

"But they never held Borg accountable, did they? But hey, why would they? The white ninja works for them. Nobody ever wants to betray their masters."

"Nobody controls me!" Cole said. His grip on the doorframe tightened. The building shook for a moment, then stilled again.

Ronin looked Cole up-and-down. He smiled. "I didn't know the Earth Ninja was in my home. Now, I know she's not the real deal—" Ronin gestured to Nya with his gun before pointing it to Cole again "—but you're legit.  _The black ninja._  Famous for . . . sorry, I'm drawing a blank. Did you do anything notable other than being replaced as leader?"

"He—" Nya began to say.

"Don't bother. He was useless on the team. I know it. He knows it. His old teammates probably knew it, too." Ronin put his gun down flat on the table. "But I can recognize a threat. For once, black ninja, you are in control of the situation. I know you can topple this building as long as you're in here. What do you want from me?"

"It's not what I want. It's what she wants."

Nya walked until she was in front of Ronin. Then she smashed her palm into his nose.

Ronin stumbled backwards, crying out and holding his nose with his hand. While he was stunned, Nya took the gun off the table and passed it back to Cole. Cole wasn't used to guns, so he fiddled with it until he found the safety and then threw it behind him into the living room. They could get it later. He wanted both of his hands free in case something happened.

"You know, I originally just wanted to figure out who you were and then hand you over to the police. But you're right. They didn't care about my case when you hit me, and they wouldn't care now," Nya said. "Now you've brought something else to my attention. What exactly do you do, Ronin? That's your dealer name, isn't it?"

"You're here because I  _hit you with my car_?" Ronin demanded. "You had the black ninja break into my home, probably bug the place now that I think about it, and then break into it  _again_  along with you, smash my nose, and threaten me just because I accidentally hit you with my car? You didn't even die! And I'm the one that called the ambulance, by the way. I'm not heartless. I'm just avoiding jail time."

"Don't dodge the question. What do you do? What do you deal?"

"Biotech. I deal biotech to gangs."

"How do you deal in biotech? How does that work?"

"Biotech is just a chip and a few nodes in your brain. I can't do the surgery, but gangs find people that can. I just give them the technology to do it."

"Which gangs?"

"Most of them are small. I only deal to one big one. Ever heard of The Second Rise?"

"No. I work in Borg security. Why haven't I heard of them?"

"A Borg employee and a ninja working together? Classic," Ronin said with a snide grin. "The Second Rise is a huge underworld force. They're smart. There's a few leaders, but they don't commit the crimes. The ones that do are the only ones that can't have a criminal record. No criminal record means no gang record. It's pretty smart."

"No criminal record? Who can't have . . ." Nya trailed off. "Wait. Are you serious?"

"Completely. I'm at your mercy, sweetheart. I won't lie to you."

"What's he talking about? Who can't have criminal records?" Cole asked.

Nya turned around. He could see pain her her eyes. "Kids, Cole. Minors."

Cole felt his stomach drop.

Nya faced Ronin again. "I should have you arrested right now. You may not be part of the gang but you're an accomplice."

"If you arrest me, they'll kill me. And then your only lead is dead, they'll figure out who snitched on me, and then you and black ninja will be dead, too. Let's be honest here, all right? Black ninja over here is the only Elemental Master still alive that can theoretically pass down his powers. Do you want to effectively kill off such a historically-important group of people because you wanted revenge? Justice? Safety? That's how the Serpentine went out too, sweetheart. It's a dangerous road to travel."

"So what should I do? Let you roam free? Let The Second Rise continue to work under the radar?"

"That's exactly what you should do. For now. Do you think I'm a fan of them, either? I'm not. But I don't want to risk my life to bring them to justice. So let's make a deal: I'll gather information on them through our deals, report them to you, and then you can arrest them without bringing me into the mix."

"What's in it for you?"

"You don't arrest me. How about that?"

Nya looked over her shoulder. "Do you think I can trust him?"

Cole sighed. "He'll stick to his word to save his own skin. Trust me."

"Okay." Nya put her hand forward. Ronin shook it. "Report information to me. But slip up once, and you're done."

"Of course. I would expect nothing less."

Nya took a step back. "Oh, and by the way: this is for my knee."

She shoved Ronin's computer monitors to the floor in one sweep. Their screens cracked and their colors flashed erratically.

"Buy new ones with your blood money and we'll call it even."

The hospitals were always busy, so Nya's second appointment with a pain specialist was in June. Cole didn't attend so Kai filled him in later, explaining that Nya was starting high-dosage pain meds to help out with her knee. They would only come into effect four weeks later, long after the winter's cold had gone away and the summer sun had emerged to torment the city for another few months.

When the flower shop was empty, he returned to his office and read through Jay's documents to try to learn as much about his friend as he could. He knew that he would end up waiting on Kai and Nya, but doing something to no avail felt better than doing nothing so he continued to scan the documents until he had their words memorized and their accompanying images burned into his brain.

Nya visited his shop in late May. She didn't wince when she stepped into his shop and walked more confidently, crossing the shop to lean against the counter and tell him about the meeting she'd had with the board of directors at NCU. She told him that they typically kicked out underperforming students in such a hard program, but after hearing her story, gave her the option to repeat the year starting next fall.

"You know what this means, right? That son of a bitch Jay is  _priority number one_. Kai and I made a bet on who can find him fastest and I intend to win."

Nya took him for motorcycle rides often. Cole would hang on tight and she would drive away into the country, leaving the city and her troubles behind her. When martial arts competition season began, they would visit Kai as he coached his students through their tournaments, leading them to victory and gold medals and large trophies to celebrate their accomplishments.

If she wasn't driving or working, she was holed up in Cole's office to find patterns in Jay's documents. It was a slow process. She wrote down every similar occurrence, time, and prognoses. In July, she presented Cole with the completed list. Each occurrence had a paragraph of analysis written underneath.

"So, his trips to the doctor only seem to have begun two years ago. He goes around five times a year and always describes the same symptoms: nausea, lightheadedness, fatigue, and what have you. But it's hard for someone to be sick this many times a year, which has led me to one conclusion: the sickness isn't natural."

"Unnatural? What do you mean?" Cole asked.

"It's not the common cold. It's an external factor—something that can't be detected without internal examination, which Jay has refused each time. Something is going on. I'll figure it out, I promise."

In August, two weeks before Nya's fresh start, they drove out to a field outside of the city and spent the day eating snacks and talking about whatever came to mind. It was natural. It reminded him of his final few weeks with Nya but this time no pain accompanied it.

The sun had begun to set when she asked him about Ronin.

"You knew him, right?"

"What do you mean?"

"He's reincarnated too, isn't he?"

"He's not the only one that wasn't a ninja. Chen and Skylor were alive during my time. Your parents. Jay's adoptive parents. It's kind of scary."

Nya crossed her legs. "How so?

"Chen was evil. Like, undeniably evil. Skylor was good. Ronin was kind of in the middle. He cooperated as long as it was in his best interest. Seeing people like Chen and Ronin come back begs a certain question: are other bad people coming back to life, too? Kai was the victim of Chen. You were the victim of Ronin. Then what about Jay? Lloyd? You think Jay is unnaturally sick—like he's poisoned. What if someone is doing this to him? What if he's not okay and there's nothing we can do about it?"

"I'm more worried about someone like the Overlord," Nya said. "I don't want to sound spiritual or anything, but the First Spinjitzu Master created the Elemental Masters for a reason. What if we're here for a reason? Why are we coming back? Why are our old enemies coming back? What if something bigger is on the horizon?"

"Zane's worried about that, too," Cole said. "He's afraid that you'll be forced to fight an enemy and die trying. He doesn't want you to put yourself into danger."

"And how about you? Are you worried?"

"You're going to die anyway. I'm afraid of what's going to happen after."

"Oh. Makes sense."

In late August, Zane and Cole took Nya on a road trip. They travelled with the windows down until they reached a decaying fossil hidden among a mountain range, off the main road and out of sight from normal citizens. Together, they stepped into the mouth of the fossil and a hatch opened, creating a door to walk into and explore inside. Cole and Zane stepped into the darkness. The cave had been dark for years now because when Nya died so had the lights, and they'd never turned on again since.

Nya stepped into the cave. The echo of her footstep reverberated throughout the cave.

And the lights turned on. The walkway to the main platform illuminated one tile at a time, lighting the way to the centre. Cole and Zane led Nya down the walkway, letting her take in the various machines on display nearby. She asked where they were. They didn't answer.

On the main platform, the computer system came to life. " _Welcome home, Nya,"_ came the computer's voice. " _It has been three thousand and seventeen years, fifty-four days, twenty minutes, and thirty-one seconds since you last returned. Would you like me to boot up Samurai X?"_

"Uh, sure?"

" _Please wait a moment."_

Hanging from poles and chains was the Samurai X suit. It began to glow, slowly whirring to life. Nya yelped and took a step back.

On the other end of the platform, a tube rose from the floor. A door in the tube opened, revealing Nya's old pilot armor.

Nya walked towards it. She pulled out the helmet. "Is this mine?"

"All of it," Zane said.

Piece by piece, Nya put on the armor. Within minutes, she looked like a terrifying force of nature again. It felt right. It felt normal.

Nya moved to walk towards them. She stopped after two steps. She lifted her right leg, putting her weight on her left leg. She jumped. Landed. Jumped again.

"Uh, guys . . . I can't feel my leg."

"Is there a problem?" Zane asked.

"No, it's not," she said. "This armor takes the brunt of my weight. It supports my legs all the way to the boot."

"What does that do?" Cole said.

"It means that my knee still hurts—that's how chronic pain works. But it doesn't hurt anymore when I use it."

"So it's bearable enough that you don't have to give up on being a ninja?" Cole asked.

Nya looked up to him. She nodded.

The computer could only be controlled by Nya. She looked through her old files, laughing at some of the pictures she had of Kai and promptly e-mailing them to herself so she could use them as blackmail later. She opened her music library, but only one file was saved. She clicked on it. An audio player popped up on the screen and began to play.

" _This is Nya. I've recorded these logs my whole life, but that's coming to an end soon. I deleted them. I don't want anyone to know my inner thoughts. At eighty-four years-old, I will now record my last log before I shut down the cave for good."_

Nya began school in the fall. She spent her days and nights studying, working harder than ever and worrying Kai because it wasn't uncommon for him to find her passed out at the kitchen table, face buried in her books and laptop open a few feet away from her flashing a  _low battery_ warning to no avail. These efforts, however, let her conquer school once again and she found herself at the top of her new class.

" _My life has been a capricious one. As a little girl, I'd never known it was possible to change identities so many times in a few simple years. First, I was Kai's sister. Second, Jay's girlfriend. Third, Samurai X. And lastly, the Water Ninja. I think defining ourselves as people is a little more difficult than most make it out to be. The labels we paint on our faces for all to see change as swiftly as the wind. What was once an identity becomes a past-self, and a past-self, a memory. A lesson for us to learn from."_

Ronin got into touch with Nya in late September. He sent her a picture of what he claimed was The Second Rise's emblem. He said they used to brand their members, but under new leadership had switched to tattoos. The emblem was a white circle. A black circle was in the middle, and a black path curled around it like a snake. It was a drawing Cole was convinced Ronin had made in two minutes on an online photo editing program.

****

" _I like to think back to my friends and family at times. Cole, Zane, and Lloyd are still around. But Lloyd is not immortal or ageless like the others. He is going to die. At this old age, I have witnessed the passing of both Kai and Jay. I often catch myself giggling at old memories or staring at old photographs until tears blur my vision and I can no longer see them. Call me nostalgic. It's better than thinking about the present."_

Nya came to visit Cole often. Sometimes, they went on motorcycle rides, but now they mostly hung around the flower shop. She no longer needed to drive, no longer needed to run away from her fears. Freedom and control had been reached. Now, she could finally look ahead with no fear of being held back.

" _I used to fear this time, this day when my friends and I grew old and had to say goodbye forever. But now I'm here, and . . . and I think I'm ready."_

~~ **RED | FIRE** ~~

~~**MAGENTA | WATER** ~~

**BLUE | LIGHTNING**

**GREEN | ENERGY**

**TOGETHER | UNITY**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks you for your comments and support! I'd just like to make sure that you know I read and cherish each comment/kudos/reblog, but do not reply to comments because I don't want to contribute to the comment count. 
> 
> Thanks so much! I'm working on Jay's chapter as I write this out! <3


	3. BLUE | LIGHTNING

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I haven't played Smash in a year but I'll forever be a Sonic and Robin main. Don't @ me.
> 
> Hey guys! I'm back with Jay's chapter. It's the longest by far (28k, ~101 pages) so I hope you enjoy!
> 
> Once again, thanks for all the positive feed back! And thank you for waiting! Your patience astounds me. <3

~~**RED | FIRE** ~~  
~~**MAGENTA | WATER** ~~  
**BLUE | LIGHTNING**  
**GREEN | ENERGY**  
**TOGETHER | UNITY**

It was autumn when Cole had his first nightmare in a decade. He awoke with a start, panting and pulling at his sweaty clothes to peel them away from his skin. He looked around the dark room, eyes landing on his bedside clock: 04:15.

Too early to be awake, but too late to fall back asleep. He shifted to sit on the side of his bed, taking in slower, deeper breaths to calm his beating heart. He ran his hand through his hair. Nightmares inspired conflicting feelings within him. There was the relief that it wasn't real, but as well as the fear that it had occurred nonetheless. His nightmares were so real; taking root in real events, and then twisting them so he was _powerless_ and could do nothing but watch as his life was pulled away from him, be it in the form of his friends leaving him or becoming a non-feeling ghost or sometimes, in his worst dreams, just being himself as the world crumbled around him.

Waking up left him in limbo. Reality set in and the illusion faded, but for a few moments, they coalesced into a world wherein his greatest fears were reflected onto his current life. For now, he imagined his friends dying a second time, not to old age but to an ancient foe revived, one bent on killing them now that they had a second chance.

Ronin had pointed the gun at Nya's head. One wrong move would have killed her. A step out of line would have ruined so many lives at once. What if it hadn't been Ronin, but someone truly evil? He feared the day they encountered an enemy that wasn't afraid to pull the trigger.

 **flintcole  
** I just had a nightmare.

 **zjfalcon  
** It has been so long since your last. What do you think has inspired it?

 **flintcole  
** Just recent events.

 **zjfalcon  
** I feared this would happen when we pursued reunification with Kai and Nya. Do you think you will be okay in the future?

 **flintcole  
** That doesn't matter. It's too late. I'm already close with Kai and Nya. We're close to finding Jay. And I don't think leaving Lloyd out there alone in the world will spare me from any bad dreams.

 **flintcole  
** I know you're worried about me. But I need to see Jay. I made too many mistakes with our friendship during my first lifetime. I'm not about to throw away a second chance to make things right for good.

 **flintcole  
** I'm going to become friends with Jay again. Even if it hurts me.

The nightmares were most common after missions. During his first lifetime, they were a weekly occurrence. But as his ninja activities waned, so did his nightmares, and he no longer feared his dreams before he fell asleep. They had all but stopped until now.

He had a feeling that as his friends returned from the dead, so would his nightmares. It was going to be an interesting few decades.

As the sun rose, Cole decided it was time to do something with his life. Kai was making a living doing what he loved. Nya was crushing her university courses. Zane was living his best life. Watching them from the sidelines, Cole felt like he was missing out on some sort of internal potential. He felt as though there was more he could achieve from life but he just hadn't made it there yet. It was as though he was being prohibited from moving forward. And Cole knew what was responsible.

It was fear. It always blocked him, didn't it? It prevented him from talking earnestly with his father and drove him to run away and land himself into homelessness. It forced him take on a position as leader he wasn't ready for because the idea of his friends dying terrified him. It kept him locked away in his room while Zane held funerals for their friends alone so he could pretend for just a little bit longer that he didn't just lose someone he loved.

But he'd lost them all—everyone but Zane had perished in the end. Now they were coming back from the dead. He was being given a new opportunity to live a life with them he felt was worth living for, one he could look back on in three thousand years and feel no regret. For once in his life, he wanted to feel proud of himself for what he's done. And what better time to pursue new goals than in an era surrounded by friends?

"What are you going to do, then?" Nya asked him, sitting on the flower shop counter as Cole paced around the closed store, explaining his feelings. "You can't decide that you're going to change your life with no plan."

"What do you think I should do?" replied Cole.

"Well, you never graduated high school. That could be a good place to start."

Cole spent his next week looking at adult schools, combing through all the options until he found one that would suit him best. There was a school not too far from him, one called Western Continuing Education that avoided classroom-style learning in favour of private tutoring sessions. But there was one problem: they wanted government-issued ID before he could enrol.

Cole didn't know if he could trust the school's administration. Once they caught sight of his birthday, they would figure out who he was. He'd spent so long hiding that the thought of workplace gossip bringing him back into the spotlight terrified him. He had abandoned it for a reason.

He went into hiding at the end of his fifteenth lifetime. For the past few centuries, he'd volunteered at history museums and attended university lectures, talking about his experiences as a ninja and showing off some of his relics from the past. At times, Cole himself felt like a relic, travelling from exhibit to exhibit as the main attraction for crowds mesmerized by history but most often his elemental powers, almost always his elemental powers because in an age where the Elemental Masters were dying off, sometimes not having kids and sometimes dying before it was possible, the few Elemental Masters that remained were a wonder for the masses. Children would tell him that they wanted to be able to control fire or water or be as strong as him, and he would respond by sharing the bad sides of the powers, like Kai's inability to handle cold weather or how Nya could create storms when she was hurt.

It never really worked. People—children or not—still had that dream of flying, of becoming more than they were destined to be. Nobody wanted to be normal. Nobody but Cole.

He went into hiding because he hated feeling like a trophy. He hated visiting exhibits and feeling like he was part of it. Now that he was no longer on the public consciousness, he felt like a regular person. He could go to restaurants with Zane without fear of long stares or sudden interruptions from fans or even sometimes enemies. He was at peace with the world, and it was at peace with him, no longer trying to kill him or his friends and allowing him to do what he'd always wanted: live.

He couldn't risk his identity. So, he got into touch with a less-than-law-abiding ally.

**-onyx has opened a new chatroom!-**

**secure_bot  
** Welcome to Secure, Ninjago's safest messaging service! Your messages will remain on our isolated, closed-circuit servers, keeping you safe from government surveillance and private tracking. Remember to donate to ensure that your communications remain private! Safe chatting!

 **ronin  
** I hate that thing

 **ronin  
** Anyways what do you want

 **onyx  
** I need a fake ID.

 **ronin  
** This better be for infiltrating the second rise

 **onyx  
** I'll be honest—it's not. It's so I can attend school without using my real ID.

 **ronin  
** Holy shit

 **ronin  
** I deal with gangs and the dark web, not this surface level garbage

 **ronin  
** Ask someone else or i'll block u

**-ronin has left the chatroom!-**

Okay. Ronin wasn't going to help. But he did know one last person with a more-than-lenient outlook towards the law.

 **flintcole  
** Please tell me you know how to get a fake ID.

 **kai_fire13  
** dude

 **kai_fire13  
** what kind of teen would i have been if i didnt have one

 **flintcole  
** One that didn't break the law?

 **kai_fire13  
** BOO

 **kai_fire13  
** i can get you an id tho

 **kai_fire13  
** tell me what info you want on it and ill get it made for you

 **kai_fire13  
** theyre pricey af tho just warning ya

 **flintcole  
** I'm sure I can afford it. Thanks, man. I owe you.

 **kai_fire13  
** no prob my dude

One month later, Kai arrived at Cole's apartment with a thin card of plastic. It changed his birthdate to reflect his visible age, making him appear as though he were born twenty-one years ago. Kai stuck around to help him sign up, and within a few hours, he was accepted to start studying the following Monday. Kai shook his head and laughed. "I can't believe you used a fake ID to sign up for school. That's so undeniably lame."

Cole didn't care if it was lame, because he was one step closer to progressing in his life. All he had left to do was graduate high school, figure out what to do from there, and then fulfill his wildest dreams. His plan was a lot vaguer than he was comfortable with, but he was done being comfortable. It was time to cross all those lines he'd drawn in the sand and step into the ocean.

The tutoring room was small, with fading yellow walls and hardwood floors. In the middle of the room was a rectangular table with plastic chairs on either side. When Cole entered, he expected to see his tutor, but they weren't there.

The receptionist behind him sighed. "He's always late, I'm sorry. Just take a seat and wait for a few minutes."

Cole did as he was told, sitting in the chair that faced the door. He pulled out his supplies, setting out his papers and pens and calculator on the desk. He wanted his tutor to have a good first impression. The last thing he wanted was for them to think he was disorganized and lazy.

The door opened. Cole sat up straighter. Then his tutor entered the room.

Freckles. Shaggy brown hair. A stupid, blue scarf.

Suddenly, Cole lost his ability to breathe.

Jay struggled to balance the various books in his arms. He dropped them on the table, then reached across to shake Cole's hand. Cole barely managed to bring himself to do it.

"Nice to meet you," said Jay. "My name is Jay, but you can call me Mr. Gordon." Jay paused. He looked Cole up and down. "On second thought, don't call me that. You look like you're older than me and that would be kind of weird. Just call me Jay. What's your name?"

He coughed before he spoke. "Cole. My name is Cole."

"Cool name. Or should I say, Cole name. No? No laugh? Okay. Let's just start doing math."

Sparing no time for small talk, Jay moved right into the lesson. As Cole began to relax, he tried to talk about unrelated subjects with Jay, such as movies in theatres or trying to get him to reveal personal details. Cole didn't know if Jay was ignoring him on purpose or failing to pick up on what Cole was doing, because their allotted two hours passed with no progress on Cole's part.

Before he left, Cole asked, "Are you going to keep being my tutor?"

Jay shrugged. "Unless you requested to have the same tutor, they switch us up. But I think I'm with you until Friday. Anyways, I have to go. See you tomorrow, Cole."

Cole clutched the underside of the table. Although he knew he would see Jay again tomorrow morning, nothing made his heart hurt more than watching him leave.

**in: ninja squad 2.0**

**flintcole  
** How's that pizza bet going?

 **kai_fire13  
** ugh not good

 **kai_fire13  
** when we find jay im going to kill him for being so sneaky

 **nyarai  
** When /we/ find Jay? I think you mean when /I/ find Jay.

 **kai_fire13  
** dont act like youre going to win

 **kai_fire13  
** theres no way im spending my hard-earned money on buying you pizza for a whole year

 **nyarai  
** Likewise

 **flintcole  
** Well, then I've got some pretty good news for you guys. I just met someone pretty interesting. I think he'll be pretty helpful in helping us with our search.

 **kai_fire13  
** who is it

 **flintcole  
** You may not remember, but you've met him before. See, his name rhymes with slay, because that's what I just did to your plans to catch him first.

 **flintcole  
** To confirm: I have found Jay.

 **kai_fire13  
** FUCK

 **nyarai  
** I have never been so angry and so happy at the same time. What is this strange feeling?

 **kai_fire13  
** so whats the plan now

 **kai_fire13  
** you gonna tell hes a ninja and recruit him or?

 **flintcole  
** No.

 **kai_fire13  
** what why not

 **flintcole  
** I need to become friends with him first. If I just spring it on him, he won't believe me.

 **kai_fire13  
** but don't you have video evidence? wasnt jay the vlogger?

 **flintcole  
** Trust me, Kai.

 **flintcole  
** This is something I need to do.

 **kai_fire13  
** intense but acceptable

 **kai_fire13  
** good luck. remember not to be weird

 **kai_fire13  
** eat your veggies

 **kai_fire13  
** brush your teeth

 **kai_fire13  
** okay whatever im done

Jay was late again the next morning. The annoyed receptionist for the tutoring centre explained that Jay had a bad habit of getting lost, no matter how often he made the commute there. Cole found it kind of funny. It was very . . . Jay-like.

A quarter past nine, Jay opened the door and made his way inside. He sat down, looked at Cole, and then groaned. "I'm sorry. What's your name again?"

He shifted in his seat. "Oh, it's Cole."

"Okay. Sorry, I'm bad with names. I'll remember next time, I promise."

But come Friday, Jay was still getting lost on his way to the school, and was nowhere close to remembering Cole's name. On more than one occasion, he complimented a doodle in Cole's notebook like it was the first time he'd seen it. Maybe he just couldn't be bothered to remember the details of their tutoring sessions. Cole was sure they weren't the highlight of his day.

They only had ten minutes left in their session before Cole potentially lost Jay for another handful of months. He had to get his information. His life didn't depend on it, but right now, it certainly felt like it did.

"When solving for 'x' in this case, you'd want to think about how to—" Jay began to say, but Cole interrupted him.

"Do you have Insta?" he asked.

"No, I don't. Why?"

"Because you seem like a cool person. I was thinking that we could text each other or even hang out when you're not teaching me."

His eyes widened. "What? Why?"

"I just told you: I think you're a cool person. Look, if you can't, that's fine. I just thought it would be neat to get to know each other a bit better."

"I want to, but I don't have a lot of time for friends. All my free time is spent studying or playing video games. It's hard to find time in my schedule to go out, you know?"

"I used to play a lot of video games when I was your age," replied Cole, feeling an immediate pang of shame at the realization of how old that sentence made him seem. "You could say I was pretty good. I can be pretty competitive if I want to be."

Jay's face lit up. He leaned forward on the desk. "Ever play _Smash Bros._?"

It was a hard no. But upon revealing that he was willing to learn to play, Jay finally coughed up his username. However, it wasn't for Instagram: it was for Secure, the messaging app Ronin used to communicate with Cole and Nya.

Either Jay cared about his online privacy, or he had something to hide. It was intriguing, but Cole couldn't push. Not yet. He'd find out more about Jay's new life when the time came. For now, his only goal was friendship.

The following week, Nya asked him to begin training her, claiming that as long as they were careful, they could start her ninja training without causing more injury. After much persuasion, Kai lent them his keys to the dojo, and they started training that same night as soon as she had finished her homework. Given her schedule, they would only be able to train at night, but it didn't seem to bother Nya.

"If anything, it's more realistic this way," she said, strapping on her knee brace—not the regular one, Cole noticed, but the piece of armour from the Samurai X suit. "What kind of ninja doesn't do everything at night?"

"One that's well-adjusted to society," replied Cole with a sigh. Nya laughed, and once her brace was secured, they were ready to begin. Seeing that she still carried herself with a slight limp, he decided to try something different.

After Jay had injured his leg during the Tournament of Elements, he was suspended from duty shortly after the Tournament's conclusion to ensure he didn't make it worse than it already was. But he'd refused to sit back while his friends risked their lives, so he developed an adapted version of the ninja fighting style, one that permitted him to fight without a leg by shifting most of the action to the arms and hands. This is the style Cole would teach Nya. He just had to figure it out again first.

It was a good thing he was still a master fighter.

"This can be a bit tricky," Cole admitted. "You need to put more of the pressure on one leg while simultaneously keeping the injured one away from the action. This puts you at a disadvantage; smart fighters will spot your weak leg right away and target it."

"You want me to be more aggressive," Nya said. Cole was surprised—he wasn't that far in his explanation yet. "They're going to target my knee, so to keep them from doing that, they need to be busy defending themselves."

She didn't seem too happy. "Is that all right? I can try to figure out something else if it doesn't work for you."

"It's just different, that's all," she said. After a deep breath, she shifted into the stance Cole showed her. "I always fought in a mixed league, and no matter how hard I tried, the guys were always stronger. I used the same fighting style as Skylor. I wish I could have used Kai's tactic and just overpowered my opponents by beating them into submission, but I never could. Now you're asking me to do exactly what I used to think was impossible. I'm a little worried I won't be able to pull it off."

"Jay couldn't overpower anyone." Cole shifted into his own stance, ready to begin. "But he was quick. He always tried to take down his opponents before they had the chance to fight back. This is what you'll do."

"You're training me to be an assassin."

"I'm training you to be a ninja. Your success isn't measured by how many fights you win, but how many you avoid all together. I want you to be a strong ninja, Nya. I want you to be as good as you used to be. If we work on this together, you'll live up to all that potential you used to fear you lost. You just need to trust me."

She nodded. "Okay. I trust you."

"Perfect. Let's start."

Understanding her new style, Nya lunged forward. Cole moved to block.

Soon, she would become a ninja master again. It was just going to take time.

The next day, Cole messaged Jay. He wanted to speak with him, but felt like he needed an excuse to make the transition from teacher and student to friends less awkward.

**-onyx has opened a new chatroom!-**

**secure_bot  
** Welcome to Secure, Ninjago's safest messaging service! Your messages will remain on our isolated, closed-circuit servers, keeping you safe from government surveillance and private tracking. Remember to donate to ensure that your communications remain private! Safe chatting!

 **onyx  
** Where can I buy a copy of Smash?

 **walker  
** online or in a store

 **walker  
** but wait do you have a console? you need one to play

 **walker  
** wait x2 was i supposed to send you a copy of my schedule/? i just remembered its a local game so we would need to be together anyways

 **walker  
** you can just come over to my place and play if you want

 **walker  
** or i could even lug the console over to yours

 **walker  
** your choice really

Cole knew the obvious choice. This was an open invitation to visit Jay's home; to peek into his private life, understand the conditions in which he now lived. But as he began to type his assent, a sudden memory prevented him from finishing. Jay overshared, but there were parts of him he kept secret from those he didn't trust. It took Cole years to earn it. And to earn it, he had to first sacrifice his own privacy, allowing Jay access to his hidden memories and deepest secrets.

He knew what he had to do.

 **onyx  
** Do you think you could come to my place?

 **onyx  
** Not that I would hate going to yours.

 **walker  
** lol sure

 **walker  
** this is probs a good thing cuz i havent cleaned my place in ages lmao

 **onyx  
** Okay, send me a copy of your schedule so I can figure out a good time.

 **walker  
** sure thing bro

**-walker has sent you an image!-**

fall_shed.jpg

Cole looked it over. Jay had sent him his digital calendar for the month of November, full of notes for work schedule changes and class cancellations or adjustments. Among the chaos, there was one constant: Jay had no free time. He was no longer that free bird he used to be, the person he was before he became a ninja, with mounds of free time used for inventing and testing out his machines. On the schedule, Cole counted many university classes—for mechanical engineering—and three part-time jobs if he included their morning tutoring sessions. Cole combed through Jay's schedule, noting when he had his obligatory days off and the days when he had the longest breaks between his jobs and school. His days off were staggered between jobs and school, so he had something on everyday. It was just a matter of finding a time when Jay would be the least exhausted.

In two weeks, on a Wednesday, Jay was free from dinner until Tuesday morning. Cole and Jay made plans over text and for the first time in thousands of years, they were about to hang out as friends again.

By the next week, Cole discovered that Jay wasn't one to text first. But Cole was afraid of pushing it and losing him, so they continued without contact until the day of their get together, when Jay texted him in the morning to confirm that everything was still a go. After exchanging a few words, Jay stopped replying and only messaged him again to announce his arrival.

Jay walked into his apartment with a backpack strapped to his shoulders, the same blue scarf wrapped around his neck, and a rather heavy-looking brown jacket sagging off his arms. It seemed too big on him. Cole opened his mouth to bring Jay's attention to the coat rack and the mat where he could leave his shoes, but he didn't seem interested in basic etiquette and walked straight past him, making his way deeper into the room. Cole closed his front door and turned around.

Still wearing his dirty shoes, Jay had walked into his carpeted living room and was already in the process of setting up the game console. Cole shook his head, annoyed that his carpet may now need cleaning soon, but smiled a little nonetheless. When had Jay ever cared about personal space, or respected other people's preferences? What seemed like a character flaw now presented itself as hope that despite all the changes to Jay's life, with his busy schedule and seemingly different adolescence, he was still the same person in his core. His best friend would always be himself. Now, Cole just had to coax it out of him.

The game loaded on the screen. Jay scooched back and sat on the floor, crossing his legs and leaning his back against the couch. He patted the floor next to him, inviting Cole over.

Cole raised an eyebrow. "Why sit on the floor? I have a couch."

"I don't play games on furniture," replied Jay. "When I was a kid and played games for the first time, it was always on the floor. There was only one couch, and I'm a small person, so I always wound up on the floor when I fought the other kids for the controller. Playing like this reminds me of those days. It makes me feel more connected to the game."

This was a surprise. "You have siblings?" asked Cole. Jay was an isolated child, having grown up alone in a scrapyard with his parents. It was this background that made him socially unconscious and awkward in conversation. Would Jay be a different person if he'd had other children to bond with?

"No," said Jay, as though that was all the explanation required. Cole bit the inside of his cheek to keep himself from asking more questions.

The television changed to a character selection screen. Jay locked into a character as soon as he could. Cole could recognize some, but not all, and definitely not the one Jay had selected. _Sheik_ wasn't in any of the video games he'd played when he was younger, or even ten years ago, when Jay would have been a child. Cole chose a character he'd played many games as: Sonic.

"Sonic's A-Tier," Jay commented. "Nice pick."

Cole was unaware of any kind of ranking system. "Are some characters better than others?"

"Yeah. See, you could choose Bayonetta, the best fighter, but that's kind of a cheap move. She's an S-Tier. We both chose A-Tier characters. They're really good, but not overpowered. Sheik is my main, but Sonic is my second go-to. Zero-Suit Samus is pretty good, too. I like fast characters."

"Blue characters too, apparently."

"Pfft. Of course. Blue is the best colour."

Cole couldn't argue with that.

Throughout the next few hours, Cole got a good scope of the game. He learned to block, shield, recover, and a number of other techniques to keep his characters from flying off the screen. But no matter how long he resisted, he quickly learned one thing: Jay was unstoppable.

Jay very rarely lost a life—or _stock_ , as Cole learned to call them—and was quick to rob Cole of his own. After their play session was finished, Cole looked over to Jay, angry that he lost so many times but proud that his best friend had discovered something new he was good at. "How often do you play this? You're too good."

"When I'm not studying or working, this is what I do. Sorry that I never let you win. I get a little competitive."

"Do you ever do those gaming competitions?" asked Cole.

"Some of them," said Jay. "I like to go in the summer, when I don't have to worry about school."

"You ever win?"

Jay leaned forward. He turned off the console, then sat back. "I've only won once. And, to be honest, it wasn't even because I was better. I won because I tricked him. He knocked me off the side, and I pretended I didn't have my recovery move. The guy jumped off to celebrate, and when he was passed the point of no return, I used my recovery move to jump a few feet in the air. He died and lost his last stock one second before me. No one really considers it to be a legitimate win. The next time I win, it'll be because of my skill, not a cheap trick. Then I can consider myself a real champion."

Jay stood up. Cole looked at the clock. It was midnight. They'd been playing for quite a few hours, now. Like Cole, Jay looked at the clock. Then, he looked to his video game console. "Can I leave this here?"

"Don't want it to get stolen?"

"Taking public transit at night with an expensive console in my backpack? If I got robbed, it would suck." Jay zipped up his back and put it on his shoulders. Cole led him to the door and opened it for him. Jay stepped into the hallway. "You can play it, if you want. Maybe, if you practice enough, you can beat me one day. I'll see you soon, Onyx."

Cole closed the door. He peeked through the peephole, watching Jay as he stepped into the elevator and then disappeared. He couldn't believe he'd just played video games with his best friend again. It felt surreal.

Cole laughed. And yet, despite all the time they'd just spent together, Jay still couldn't remember his name.

The next night, during his sparring session with Nya, he found himself often pausing his explanations to yawn. When she dared to ask why he was so tired, he lied and told her that he'd had a rough night sleeping. He didn't have the courage to look her in the eye and explain that rather than sleep, he'd elected to spend his hours playing _Smash Bros._ until the sun rose and it was time to attend his tutoring session. It didn't seem like she'd believed him, but to her credit, she chose not to push it further.

That was one thing he'd always liked about Nya. A keeper of secrets herself, she was never one to push. She respected boundaries and privacy. Although she had less to keep hidden in this life, this trait carried over. Cole was eternally grateful for this, because as more time passed with Jay's console sitting in Cole's living room, he went through his days with less and less sleep as he spent his nights cramming in game time. No matter how exhausted he appeared during their training sessions, she did nothing more than raise an eyebrow and ask if he'd had trouble sleeping again, never going further and demanding information he wasn't willing to volunteer.

Jay was a different story. The next time Jay came over to play, he noticed Cole's exhaustion immediately. He laughed. "Wow, you look _awful_. How many all-nighters have you been pulling lately?"

If it was anyone else, Cole would have been offended. But he knew Jay's bluntness came from a place of caring. "I've had a few. No big deal, I used to be up all night all the time. I'm just not used to it anymore. I'll be back to normal soon."

"Night owl like me, huh? I love being awake during the night. It feels more natural. It feels like the right time for me to be awake," said Jay, slinking lower into his spot on the floor, until only his head was supported by the front of the couch. "Man, before I came to the city for high school, I spent all my time awake at night. I grew up in one of those little Sands communities, and although it's been a thousand years since that climate scare, the storms have been pretty bad. So they always had someone awake at night, just to make sure that if the warning systems went off, at least one of us would be able to wake the others. That was my job. It was nice, just watching the stars and reading textbooks under a little light. No one does that here. It sucks."

"We would if we could. You can't see the stars in the city. Well, not most of them, anyway." Cole could remember watching the stars disappear as the city expanded, drowning them out with its destructive light pollution. The city did a lot more than that, too, spreading storm clouds across the country that destroyed ecosystems and wreaked havoc on rural communities that ultimately had little to do with it in the first place. He could remember the divide the shattered the nation, creating barriers that lasted for centuries and with it distinct dialects that became new languages. These languages emerged with new cultures, whose traditions varied from region-to-region.

It had been a long time since Cole visited the Sea of Sands. Thinking back, he could recall the way his feet sunk an inch into the sand with each step inside the floorless homes because sand was so pervasive they deemed it easier to embrace it rather than spend hours a day cleaning it out of every nook and cranny indoors. This was why Jay never took off his shoes when he entered Cole's apartment. He wondered what Jay's apartment looked like. Were the floors covered in shoe prints? Were his sheets dirty from sleeping with his shoes on, like most did in the Sands? Did he forget to lock his door at night after living in such a small, trusting community?

Jay looked past him. Cole followed his eyes to the window. It was nighttime. He was looking for stars. From the interior of his apartment, none could be seen. But the same couldn't be said for the roof.

"Do you want to go up?" asked Cole, gesturing to the ceiling. Jay seemed to understand. He thought for a moment, then shook his head and turned on the game console.

"It's too depressing," he said. "But if you ever come to the Sands, I'll show you the stars. You seem like the kind of guy that has his head up in the clouds. I'm sure you'd like them."

The mood lifted as soon as they started playing. Jay began to make jokes again, swearing at Cole whenever he landed a hit and nearly throwing his controller when Cole knocked him off the platform and eliminated one of his stocks for the first time. The practice was paying off.

But it wasn't enough, and aside from that small victory, Jay still crushed Cole no matter what character he chose. Even resorting to 'S-Tier' characters like Bayonetta wasn't enough to defeat Jay. Cole wondered how it was possible Jay didn't win the competitions he participated in. Were the others really that much better than him? How competitive could this game get?

For the next few months, Jay came over once a week to play games with Cole. If they ever wound up with tutoring sessions together, Jay would find ways to incorporate lessons about the game into what he was teaching Cole. It made Cole laugh. What a nerd.

Come spring, they were growing close. But Cole still knew nothing about him. He could piece together some things, like his general background, poor financial situation that required two jobs, and past-times, but there was more than that. Jay had always been an inventor. Where was this part of him now?

April brought sun showers. During a rainy day, Ronin messaged him and Nya for the first time in months.

**-ronin has opened a new chatroom!-**

**secure_bot  
** Welcome to Secure, Ninjago's safest messaging service! Your messages will remain on our isolated, closed-circuit servers, keeping you safe from government surveillance and private tracking. Remember to donate to ensure that your communications remain private! Safe chatting!

 **ronin  
** All right kids, gather round

 **ronin  
** The Second Rise is going through something big

 **ronin  
** Come to my place tonight. Please don't wear your ninja stuff. it's stupid

 **mer  
** What's happening?

 **ronin  
** Something I can't say over chat, sweetheart

 **ronin  
** In person only at my place

 **ronin  
** Be there

 **mer  
** Or be square.

 **ronin  
** Shut up

**-ronin has closed the chatroom!-**

At midnight, Nya picked up Cole on her bike and they wove through the side-streets until they arrived at Ronin's building. Unsure of how to enter, they climbed up the balconies and entered through the sliding door. Ronin waved his hand out the door of the computer room, inviting them inside.

Since Nya's attack on his computers, Ronin had downgraded to one monitor. Cole smiled at the memory. Although Ronin was now his ally, it always felt good to see justice served.

"Welcome to the end of our alliance, Ninja," Ronin announced, spinning in his swivel chair and spreading his arms in gesture. "In the next period of unidentified time, the Second Rise will sever their ties with me. It was nice working with you."

Nya crossed her arms. "Wow," she deadpanned. "I'm so glad I made this deal with you. You have been an absolute well of information. Thanks, Ronin."

"Hey, give me some credit. A few hours ago, I hacked them. Just for you."

Nya's arms fell back to her sides. "You _what_?"

"Well, claiming I did it a few hours ago doesn't give me all the credit. We've been working together for nearly a year. I've had quite a few deals between then and now," Ronin said. He spun again and faced his computer. He pulled up a map of the city on his monitor. Every few moments, a few circles of light would blink somewhere in the streets. "The past few deals, I've put geolocation software in the biotech. They didn't notice. For some kind of secret society, they're really bad at detecting malware."

Nya leaned forward. She looked at the screen with narrowed eyes. As though explaining to the less-than-technologically-capable Cole, she said, "So, anyone wearing your new biotech has a tracker. We can follow their movements."

Cole frowned. "If they didn't catch you, why are they kicking you out?"

"Change of leadership," replied Ronin. He turned back to face Cole. "There was a coup yesterday. My contacts are freaking out. Some of them are dead. This new guy is vicious. He calls himself _Feng._ I heard he went on this loyalty tirade, and if anyone refused to obey him, he shot them in the head or something. All the dealers are getting kicked out—something about not being able to trust third parties."

"Pretty smart," Cole admitted. "Sucks for us, but smart for them. It's a good thing we got in when we did."

"I'll send the tracking program to Nya. No offense, black ninja, but she's the real tech expert here."

"None taken."

That night, after Nya had dropped him off and he fell asleep, he had another nightmare. His arms were tied behind his back, connected to a wall by chains made of vengestone. It was a dark room. A single light hung from the ceiling, swaying back and forth in a breeze that made him shiver. It smelled of wet wood, like a forest after rainfall. Where was he? He looked to the left, then to the right. Crates were stacked against the walls. Portholes peeked out into the sea. Some kind of ship. Instinctively, he knew it was not Destiny's Bounty. He blinked and shook his head, willing his reality away. But he could still feel the chains pinching his skin, and upon opening his eyes, was met with a scene so different than his usual nightmares. Jay, hands bound behind him, faced a man Cole could not recognize. The only distinguishing feature a was a long, dark ponytail. Cole squinted but could not make out facial features. It seemed that his face warped, changing slightly with each passing second. Perhaps this was Feng. He shouted at Jay in a language Cole couldn't understand. Jay tried to reply but Feng ordered his silence. He stuck his arm out. It glowed a soft orange. As Feng spoke, it grew brighter. There was panic on Jay's face. He began to walk backwards out of fear, but did not notice a crate behind him and tripped on it. On the floor, he tried to move away, kicking wildly at his assailant.

And then, with one kick, lightning erupted from his foot.

Cole flinched when he woke, eyes snapping open in fear. He sat up, heart calming as reality kicked in. His clock beeped loudly. His alarm had been going off for half-an-hour now. It was 08:30. He was going to be late for tutoring.

Still half-paralyzed by fear, he dressed himself in the black clothes that gave him comfort and left his apartment with a travel mug filled with two cups of espresso to wake him up. The skytrain was unusually silent. He didn't know if it was remnant paranoia from the nightmare, but it seemed as though have the train car couldn't keep their eyes off him. It was suffocating. Once he reached his stop, he nearly stumbled out of the doors to get away from their looks. Rather than wait in a crowded elevator with suit-claden people scowling during their commute to work, he climbed the fence and jumped into the emergency stairwell. He ran the whole way down to try and burn energy, jumping some stairs and going as fast as he could.

He reached the bottom. The sight of people walking on the sidewalks made his heart pound in his chest. What was wrong with him today?

The familiar walls of the tutoring centre only calmed him slightly. He made his way to the room, glancing at the clock on the way. He was ten minutes late. Hopefully his tutor wouldn't mind.

He opened the door. Inside, the back of Jay's auburn hair greeted him. Cole let out a sigh of relief. At least he was with someone he knew. He sat down in his chair, but Jay didn't smile upon seeing him. _Tap tap tap!_ Cole looked down. Jay's foot, the same one he'd used to kick lightning in his dream, was tapping incessantly against the wooden floor.

Beneath the table, Cole pinched his own leg. It was a nightmare. The connection was arbitrary.

"Are you okay, Onyx?" asked Jay.

Cole's head snapped up. "My name isn't Onyx. It's Cole. We've been friends for months, Jay. Why can't you remember my name?"

Jay's foot began to tap faster. "I'm blanking," he said with a shrug. As though it were an answer.

"For months at a time? After we've known each other for this long?" Cole didn't know where the anger was coming from. Was it because he'd just witnessed his friend in a near-death scenario and he couldn't even remember his name? Was it because Cole had spent thousands of years missing him, falling into fits of depression at the thought of him only for him to return and then care so little his own name was negligible? Was it because he was afraid that if Jay didn't care, he would lose him again? He couldn't help what came out next. "You're my best friend, Jay. Why can't you remember?"

The chair scraped against the floor as Jay pushed back, eyes wide in in a mix of fury and shock that pierced Cole's heart because this was how he remembered Jay looking at an enemy, not a friend. "You're not my best friend. I don't have friends. You're just a student I play video games with. Nothing more."

"How can you not have friends? You claimed you didn't have any time but now I know that's a straight-up lie. Weekly hangouts are enough to sustain friendship. What gives? Why are you pushing me away?" demanded Cole. The receptionist outside could probably hear him. He didn't care.

"Because of this, _Cole_ ," Jay spat. He gestured to the room—to them. "I can't remember anything. I couldn't remember you existed until our third tutoring session. I can't even remember the first six years of my life! My own life, my own childhood—gone. It's just weird, okay? I've never had anyone care enough to stick around before. I forget about plans, or I forget their names, or I don't text back for months at a time. Of course, no one cares. There's nothing appealing about hanging out with someone that can't remember yesterday."

He should have seen it. He knew Jay's memory wasn't perfect from the start. Why didn't he think it was beyond negligence?

Many years ago, he would have continued the argument. But he was more mature now. He wasn't going to fight with Jay over every small thing, anymore. It was time to concede. "I like hanging out with you, Jay. I'm sorry for getting mad. It was . . . shortsighted."

"Oh." Jay seemed to deflate at Cole's apology. He breathed out, shoulders slouching. "It's okay. I get a little defensive. So, you don't hate me or anything? You want to keep being bros?"

Jay was giving him a chance. They didn't need to be friend or best friends right now. They just needed to be _bros_. The rest would come later.

"I'd love to be bros," Cole said. "Let's just make each other a promise, all right? No secrets. You can tell me if you have memory problems or anything like that. I'd rather know because the last thing I want to do is fight over another misunderstanding."

"Okay," said Jay. "I promise."

Despite his promise, Cole still did not believe him. The promise Cole made was not to assure Jay was honest, but to assure that Jay assumed Cole had no truths to hide. With this step forward, Jay would begin to trust him more. It was just a matter of time until he learned more.

On the train ride home, Cole pondered the implications of Jay's memory issues. His own memories of his childhood were patchy, but he could remember his first day of school, or the days when his father became exceptionally angry with him for various reasons. He couldn't imagine what it would be like to lose six whole years to some kind of memory black-hole bent on destroying his personal relationships. Above all, it was strange it existed in the first place. Jay didn't have memory problems before. But Jay wasn't alone in this. Nya, too, had problems unique to this lifetime. Her knee was fine in the past. Now, it was injured for what could be the rest of her life.

As the train pulled into his stop, a thought struck him: Nya's knee injury was caused by Ronin, another force from the past. Did this grant her an exception? Could life-changing events in their reincarnated forms only occur if done by another reincarnation? If this were the case, Jay's forgetfulness would have been caused not by a form of brain dysfunction, but external manipulation. All of this would imply that someone was actively harming Jay. But a gut feeling told Cole this was not the case. If someone was hurting him, he would have noticed. Jay would have arrived to tutoring with bruises, or if the wounds weren't physical, he would at the very least have acted even slightly different than he used to. Cole knew his best friend like the back of his hand. If something was wrong, he would know. Right?

Cole and Zane met up for breakfast the following morning, tucking themselves away in a corner booth of a café in one of the residential neighbourhoods of the city. Cole explained his observations, going over his past experiences with both Nya and Jay so Zane could help him figure it out.

Zane fell silent for a few moments, eyes looking around the room as he thought about what Cole had told him. Then, he spoke. "I have a strange theory to propose," he said. "What if we were wrong to assume they are the same people they were when they died? Nya and Jay both have new struggles, while Kai remains the only ninja still intact, so to speak. What if he is the exception in this case?"

"That's possible," Cole said. "I guess Kai was also fucked over by someone from our past. Chen ruined his martial arts career, right? Maybe this is a common occurrence in reincarnation."

"You told me Jay cannot remember the first six years of his life. His broken memory is not natural, Cole. It is not part of who he is supposed to be. I believe someone is doing this to him."

"I think I would have noticed if someone was messing with him," Cole replied. His bit his cheek again, annoyed at Zane's suggestion. He knew it was wrong to get defensive, but he couldn't help it. "No one is harming Jay. At least, not right now."

"Well, that is a theory, I suppose."

Cole frowned. "This isn't a time to be sarcastic." He picked up his mug and took a long sip of his coffee.

"I am not being sarcastic."

Cole paused. He put his mug on the table. "What's the theory, then?"

"I believe that you would have noticed if something is wrong with Jay. Best friends or not, it is hard to spend seventy years with someone and fail to realize if something is wrong. This means there is one reasonable explanation: Jay is not being hurt in the present."

Suddenly, it clicked. "Something happened in those first six years of his life," he murmured. Cole stood up. "Come on, let's go to the flower shop. I think we missed something in the files Nya gave us."

Back in Cole's office, they found the files in a cabinet and spread them across the table. They combed through them, looking for any sign of harm in his medical and other personal files. Cole searched for small details, things they would have missed during their first look-through when their biggest problem was finding out if Jay was even alive. He picked up the adoption papers, leaked by Nya despite their large CONFIDENTIAL warnings printed across the text as a watermark. She really was willing to commit crime to pursue her own goals, wasn't she? He supposed she'd always been a rule-breaker.

Some of the text was highlighted, containing key information like his parents' occupation and Jay's birthdate. Cole avoided this text. He looked at the top of the page, observing the generic information about the adoption. And then he found it.

"Zane, look at this," he said. Zane looked over. Cole ran his finger under the adoption date. "Jay was only adopted ten years-ago. He's sixteen."

"Does he know he's adopted?" Zane asked.

"Probably. His Secure username is his old last name, so he must have gotten it from his parents. Also, come on. There's no way he doesn't know. It's kind of hard to keep it a secret when your kid has a different last name than you."

"True," Zane said. "In this case, do you think it is some form of trauma caused by his biological parents? Memories can be affected by psychological trauma."

"We'll see. Right now, I'm going to keep being friends with him. His memories apparently do break through sometimes. There's a chance he'll tell me what happened if I can prompt him to remember."

"Okay. Let's see if you can do this."

Game plan in action, Cole contacted Jay to make sure they could continue to meet up and play _Smash Bros._ Jay promised they could, and soon enough, they were meeting up almost weekly to play for hours straight. But Cole wanted to take their friendship further.

Come summer, it was time to introduce him to his friends.

**-onyx has opened a new chatroom!-**

**secure_bot  
** Welcome to Secure, Ninjago's safest messaging service! Your messages will remain on our isolated, closed-circuit servers, keeping you safe from government surveillance and private tracking. Remember to donate to ensure that your communications remain private! Safe chatting!

 **onyx  
** My friend Kai is hosting a movie night if you're down.

 **onyx  
** We usually just order pizza and chill.

 **walker  
** uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

 **walker  
** are they cool?

 **walker  
** also i talk during movies rip

 **onyx  
** They're pretty cool. One of them, Kai, likes to talk a lot during movies, too. You'll probably get along pretty well.

 **walker  
** hmmmmmmmmmmmmm okay ill try

 **walker  
** dont ditch me though okay?

 **onyx  
** Shy around new people?

 **walker  
** a little

 **walker  
** how many people will be there?

 **onyx  
** Three that aren't me or you.

 **walker  
** okay. thats doable.

Cole arrived at Kai and Nya's home a few hours early to help them set up. They cleaned the place from top to bottom, moving all of Kai's soda cans and empty bowls to the kitchen and forcing Nya to bring all of her devices and chargers up to her bedroom so it was no longer a struggle to walk around the house without stepping on a piece of expensive technology. They had planned to host the screening in the basement, but when Cole found out they _still_ hadn't replaced the coffee table him and Kai had broken during a training session, he moved their plans to the living room and promptly held a small meeting with Kai and Nya.

"You need to take better care of your house," he said. Nya chuckled. Cole frowned. "I'm being serious. It's not like you don't have enough time to clean up or buy a new coffee table."

"Um, it's not the time, it's the money," Kai replied. He lifted up his leg and shoved a foot in Cole's face. His sneaker still had a price tag attached. "How am I supposed to afford a new coffee table if I also need to look pretty?"

Cole groaned when he saw the price. "You spent way too much money on those. And why is the tag still attached?"

"If the price tag isn't there, nobody _knows_. I spent an entire week's paycheck on this. I deserve to feel proud."

"You know, your parents are going to kick you out one day. You'll have to worry about rent, and food, and Internet. Then you won't want to waste money on shoes anymore."

Kai put his foot back down. He smiled. "I plan to marry rich, so I don't know what you're talking about."

"I will forever be confused by how you can have so much confidence and such little self-respect at the same time."

Zane arrived soon after they finished cleaning, ringing the doorbell on the exact minute the party was deemed to start. He helped them with some last minute set-up, putting out snacks and plating portions of what they knew to be Jay's favorite food. It was a simple rice dish, specific to Skylor's region of the island that had grown very expensive and hard to find after the climate divisions. But Zane knew how to make it from scratch, and had offered to make it for the party so Jay could rediscover something he used to love. Cole just hoped his taste hadn't changed since his sudden revival.

As expected, Jay arrived fifteen minutes late. He began to apologize profusely, but Cole made him stop and pulled him inside. He led him to the living room, where the others were arguing over what kind of movie they wanted to watch. They fell silent when Jay walked into the room.

Cole watched Zane's face light up at the sight of his old friend. He jumped out of his seat and hurried over to Jay, immediately enveloping him in a hug that only ended when Zane opened his eyes and saw Cole signalling for him to calm down. Zane took a step back and composed himself, still smiling as he introduced himself. "Hello, my name is Zane. It is nice to meet you."

"Uh, you too," said Jay. He looked back to Cole for a moment as though searching for reassurance, then faced the room again after Cole nodded for him to continue. He waved awkwardly to Kai and Nya. "Hey. I'm Jay. I don't know if Cole's told you anything about me, but we're video game buddies. Cool to meet you guys."

Nya laughed. "Oh, he's told us a lot about you. He thinks you're really cool." Cole shot her a glare, but it only made her laugh harder. "Anyways, I'm Nya. The guy on the other side of the couch is my brother, Kai. If you don't talk to him, this night will be absolutely perfect."

Jay leaned back to Cole. He whispered, "Why can't I talk to Kai?"

Cole, continuing to shoot glares at Nya, whispered back, "She's just messing with you."

Jay straightened back up. "Hi, Kai."

"So, I hear you're into _Smash Bros_." Kai leaned back in the sofa and pointed a finger at Jay. "You're a nerd and you should feel bad. Not because you're a nerd, though. You should feel bad because—" Kai pulled a gaming controller from behind his back "—I was stuck in a tiny town for a month with no Internet and I played that stupid game for five hours a day, getting my ass kicked by a fourteen year-old daily until I learned to crush him. Now, I don't have a console and I just borrowed this controller from one of my students for effect, but I want you to know that next time we meet up, you better be ready to square up. I'll kill you. Instantly."

"Oh really?" Jay asked, his voice playful. "I'm one of the best players in the country. I know the good players, and I've never heard your name before. Are you in the novice league?"

"Ouch, Jay has some fire in him," Nya commented.

"I'm the one with the fire, thank you very much," said Kai. "Whatever. Let's just watch a movie."

After much more bickering, they decided to watch a horror movie about ghosts invading a town that seemed to be vaguely based on the ninja's encounters with Morro and the Cursed Realm. The movie itself wasn't fantastic, but Cole learned something new as he watched: Kai and Jay were terrified of horror movies. Halfway through the movie, Kai convinced Jay to sit beside him on the couch and they clutched each other in their arms, screaming during the jumpscares and shouting at the main characters whenever they did something stupid. Cole became aware that Nya was discreetly filming them with their phone, and made a mental note to ask for the footage later. A little blackmail never hurt anyone.

After the movie, they ate the rice dish and Cole hid his smile behind his hand as he watched Jay devour it in one sitting, eyes wide as he ate what Cole could only assume to be the best meal of his life. Zane had made sure to make plenty, so after his third serving, Jay collapsed on his side, moaning as he complained about being "too full to function".

What was meant to be a movie party turned into a sleepover, although Jay forced himself to fall asleep early so he could wake up on time for work the next day. Cole spent his night hanging out with the others, all careful not to bring up anything ninja-related in case Jay awoke and heard them. In a way, the censorship was refreshing. Cole was able to focus on the present for once, not stressing about the future or being pulled down by his past. Kai told them about how his dojo was going, Nya talked about her plan to run for the student union, and Zane even spent some time considering taking everyone on a road trip during the fall long weekend. Nya proposed camping, and with no objections from anyone else, the plan was in motion. They just had to convince Jay to take the weekend off work and come along.

During his commute home the next morning, Cole decided to talk to Jay.

**-onyx has opened a new chatroom!-**

**secure_bot  
** Welcome to Secure, Ninjago's safest messaging service! Your messages will remain on our isolated, closed-circuit servers, keeping you safe from government surveillance and private tracking. Remember to donate to ensure that your communications remain private! Safe chatting!

 **onyx  
** I thought you said you were shy around new people?

 **walker  
** normally yeah. idk why but after a little bit i just felt super relaxed

 **walker  
** it was the same way with you actually

 **walker  
** i guess i feel like i can be myself around you guys

 **walker  
** most people dont make me feel that way congrats

 **walker  
** anyways i have something i want to ask you, and maybe your friends in extension

 **onyx  
** What is it?

 **walker  
** im competing in a smash tournament next weekend

 **walker  
** i can afford to take time off work in the summer since im full time rather than part time

 **walker  
** i got the whole weekend off

 **walker  
** do you guys want to come? theyre really cool

 **onyx  
** Sure, sounds awesome. Anything we need to be aware of?

 **walker  
** yeah. its one of the tournaments with a betting pool

 **walker  
** which means its kind of illegal cause gambling is a big no no in the law

 **walker  
** you dont need to bring a disguise or anything, the cops dont really care since the gaming part itself isnt illegal

 **onyx  
** I'm honoured that you trust me enough to tell me about your semi-illegal activities.

 **onyx  
** I'll let them know. I'm sure they'd love to tag along.

 **walker  
** okay cool, i'll send you the deets later

**in: ninja squad 2.0**

**flintcole  
** Who wants to do something illegal next week?

 **zjfalcon  
** D:

The night before the tournament, Jay came over to pick up his controller so he could use it during the competition. But Kai had used his key to break into Cole's apartment, and when Jay arrived to grab his controller, Kai challenged him to a duel. A few years ago, when it seemed as though Kai had lost everything important in his life, Cole would have pulled Jay aside and asked him to go easy on him. But as Kai's students became more and more successful, a familiar arrogance had returned to his personality. Cole did pull Jay aside, but he didn't encourage him to let Kai win—he told him to do the opposite.

"Crush him," Cole whispered.

Jay nodded and smiled. "Oh, it won't be difficult."

To Kai's credit, he was better than Cole had ever been. He could hold his own against Jay for quite some time, but in the end, Jay was an unstoppable machine and robbed Kai of his stock by using some tricky techniques Cole had never seen from him before. He probably wasn't a good enough opponent to warrant using them. He looked forward to watching Jay fight in the tournament. It was definitely going to be entertaining.

Kai elected to crash on Cole's couch for the night. "Dude, it's been too long since I've done this. You don't even have blankets sitting on one end of the couch for me anymore. How sad is that?"

That night, only a few hours before the sun was due to rise, Cole was shaken awake by Kai. His heart was beating, and he could vaguely remember dreaming about the time when Kai had been captured by an enemy and the Bounty was sent audio files of his _screams_ and they were helpless to do anything about it and—

"Cole, are you awake?" asked Kai, his voice soft and caring in a way that was normally reserved only for Lloyd and Nya. Cole didn't know Kai to be an intimate person. Seeing him now, kneeling beside Cole's bed with a hand on his shoulder, felt utterly foreign.

"Yeah. I am." Cole cleared his throat. "Why aren't you asleep?"

"Same reason as you," said Kai. "I had a bad dream. You screamed and woke me up. I wanted to make sure everything was okay."

"I'm sorry, it usually never happens this often and I—"

Kai cut him off. "Shush. It's been happening a lot with me lately. Ever since we met, I've had some nightmares here and there. But it's getting worse. They used to be a few times a year. Now it's a monthly basis. I guess you must get them pretty often, with your past and whatnot, so this probably sounds like nothing to you. But geez. I think I just had the worst one yet. Can I talk to you about it?"

"Uh, yeah. Sure. Go ahead."

"I was in a room. There were bright lights everywhere and my vision was swaying and I couldn't concentrate on anything. I felt drugged up, like when the nindroid shot me. It was really disorienting. Suddenly, and I'm sorry for this, someone was cutting into my arms, and my face, and I can remember yelling and struggling but it just kept coming. Then you woke me up. Like, what the fuck was that? Do you get these dreams? How am I supposed to fall back asleep after that?"

Cole shot up in bed. He was wide awake now. "We had the same dream."

"The exact same?" asked Kai.

Cole tapped his fingers on the bed sheets as his thoughts raced through him like lightning, connecting everything at once. "No. It was from my perspective. But we both dreamed of the same time in history, down to the minute. Your dream is real, Kai. It happened during your first lifetime. You just can't remember it."

"Holy shit."

Nya wouldn't answer her phone but Zane never slept, so a short call later and he was knocking on Cole's door at three in the morning, ready to listen and figure out exactly what was going on.

Zane had only one input. "Record your dreams."

"Cool idea, but I don't have biotech," said Kai. "Only Cole can do it."

"That will suffice," said Zane. "Our trust has continued into your new life. I am sure you will not lie to us."

"That's dumb. Now I know I can rob you and you'll never suspect it was me," said Kai. He was joking around, but Cole could hear the slight tremor in his voice. This was beyond anything he'd ever experienced before. Cole was used to the supernatural; he was part of it. But Kai was still grappling with the sudden changes in his life, with reincarnation, and he couldn't imagine digesting the newfound knowledge that all of his nightmares were real.

Cole only hoped nothing nightmare-worthy would ever happen in this lifetime. The Second Rise was always a threat, but if they played their cards right, it could be shutdown by only two ninja. Nya wasn't in physical danger by hacking. They could keep her safe. Nothing bad would happen to her, either. Cole wouldn't let anything happen to any of them.

They spent the rest of the morning weighing the possibilities of what was occurring. Together, they narrowed it down to one phenomenon:

The reincarnated ninja still possessed their old memories, but they could only come out in dreams.

Before they left for Jay's _Smash_ tournament, they debriefed Nya on the situation. She admitted that she'd had a few odd dreams lately, but nightmares were sparse. Cole wondered if they'd ever shared dreams before and simply didn't realize it at the time. How often had this happened before with the others? Had he entered with dream space with Lloyd or Jay long ago and just assumed it was another memory?

The tournament was held in the basement of a card store. It was packed with people, some wearing face paint or other disguises, while others took their chances with the law and didn't bother to hide their identity. The lights were dimmed all around, save for colourful fluorescents that painted the room a myriad of colours.

To the left, Cole saw Kai put sunglasses over his eyes. He sighed. "Why are you wearing those?"

Kai continued to look straight ahead. "I can't be seen here."

After moving around the large space, they found Jay in front of a television, playing the game with a girl in all black clothing. He was smiling as they played, the way he did when he gained the upper hand, and Cole watched the screen just long enough to watch him send her character flying off the screen. They shook hands. Jay turned around to get up, then gave a small yelp when he saw them all standing behind him.

"Oh hi, guys. I'm glad you were able to find it," Jay said with a small wave. "Nice shades, Kai."

"Thanks. I think they really suit the room." Kai looked around. "Is there anything to do here other than watch people play video games?"

"If you brought cash you can bet on competitors, but it's a waste of money." Jay paused, then pointed to another room connected to the main area. "There's a secret bar in there. I think they only make Jägerbombs, though."

"What's a Jägerbomb?"

"Energy drink mixed with alcohol. It'll kill you. Don't bother. It's not worth it."

Kai glanced over to the room. He looked back to the group and started to walk backwards towards the room. "I'm going to the bathroom. See you in a bit." He turned on his heel and strode towards the entrance.

Nya groaned. "I'll go make sure he doesn't do anything stupid."

While she left, Jay called out to her, "I have another match in ten minutes!"

She shouted back a promise to be there, then disappeared into the adjoining room. Jay decided to go set up his account at the next station, bringing Cole and Zane along with him. At the console station, Jay signed into his home account and plugged in the controller he always used when he played with Cole. "I like it this way," Jay said. "It makes me feel more comfortable, like I'm just playing at home with a friend."

The opponent arrived a few minutes later. He looked a little younger than Jay, maybe around fifteen, and arrived on crutches to support a broken leg. Seeing the kid's face nearly gave him whiplash. He was familiar, yet he couldn't quite place a name to his face.

"Cole, do you recognize him?" asked Zane, whispering into Cole's ear. "That is Nelson, the honorary Purple Ninja we visited in the hospital. I wonder if his leg will ever stop being broken."

"Wow. Reincarnation can be cruel."

"Indeed."

Kai and Nya showed up a minute before the match was due to start. A large crowd had been forming, so Cole had to help them clear a path to the front. They stood just behind Jay, ready to cheer him on.

Jay turned around. "How was the Jägerbomb?"

"Stupid," Kai replied. "It tasted like gaming. That's not something I ever wanted to inflict upon my taste buds."

Jay laughed and then turned around, facing the screen. A timer buzzed. It was time to begin.

Nelson locked into _Mario._ Jay locked into _Sheik._ It was time to begin.

The stage was called _Battlefield._ Cole could remember that one. It was rather open, with only a few platforms to jump on. It would create heated combat. No running away or hiding to avoid an enemy. The match wouldn't take long.

Towards the end, they were both down to one stock. Nelson had 98%. Jay had 114%. Both were on the edge of their life, soon to be blasted off the platform and to their death. They were in a standoff, both standing on one end of the platform, unsure of how to proceed.

Then, _Sheik_ began to move towards _Mario_. Jay called back, "Hey Cole, check out this up smash!"

 _Mario_ shielded. _Sheik_ , rather than immediately smash, flipped over to _Mario_ 's backside. As _Mario_ turned to attack, she smashed. _Mario_ flew off the screen.

Jay won.

"That's cheating!" Nelson snapped. "You can't just do something like that."

The small audience burst into conversation, yelling and applauding and some booing. Rather than reply to Nelson, Jay unplugged his controller, stood up, and walked away. Cole and the others looked at each other, confused by his sudden departure. After a moment, Cole left the group to go chase after Jay, who has long since disappeared into the crowd.

He found him outside the venue, sitting on the curb with his head in his hands. Cole sat down next to him and put his hand on his back, the way he used to when Jay was upset all those years ago. "What just happened?"

"I cheated," Jay replied. "It's not against the rules, but it may as well be. I'm not supposed to talk during my matches. I just panicked."

"Hey, it's hard to judge when you're in a stressful situation like that. It's fine. It's not like it reflects you as a person."

Jay looked at him then, his eyes glassy and so _guilt-stricken_ that Cole almost averted his gaze. "That's the problem. It does. I've cheated a lot in my life. I've lied to people, pretended to be something I'm not, and kept important secrets from the people that are supposed to trust me. It seems like it's all I can do."

"What else have you cheated on? Homework?" asked Cole. "I think most of us have once in a while. I wouldn't beat yourself up over it."

"It's more than that, though. I was a scholarship kid at a really rich private school. The standard tuition probably cost more than my family made in three years. I had to convince them to let me in, so they had some pretty strict standards for me. My grades couldn't dip below ninety. I had to compete in academic competitions under their name. I had to sign up for all these clubs, volunteer for thirty hours a year, and be part of at least one sports team." Jay looked back down to his feet. "It sucked. I did some things I'm not proud of to get through it."

"Like what?"

"This is secret shit, okay? My parents don't even know about this. I'm only telling you because I trust you."

"I'm good at keeping secrets. I promise."

"Okay. I'm just cautious. Everything I did could get my diploma revoked." Jay sighed. "I was the youngest person in my class by two years. It made a lot of people hate me. Nobody really likes it when someone younger than them is better at something. It makes you feel inferior. Anyways, I got a lot of shit from my classmates. They couldn't be open about it, 'cause my school a zero-tolerance policy for any form of bullying, but it was all very subtle. I was criticized all the time whenever I raised my hand, they would laugh 'in good fun' if I didn't get the top mark on a test, and it always seemed like they were _judging me_. It did wonders for my self-esteem. But all those things weren't among the worst. See, my bad memory has been with me my whole life. In elementary school, I was allowed to bring little notes into tests that couldn't contain answers, but could have maybe a drawing or something to help me remember the course material. The private school—called LLC, by the way—didn't let me do that. I struggled a lot during my first year. Then, I found out about these pills on the Internet. They were illegal, but they were supposedly good at improving memory and concentration, so I went for it. And they worked. For the first time in my life, I felt like I could actually remember what I'd studied the night before or learned in class. They carried me until senior year. They made me pretty sick at times, to the point where I was afraid I was going to die, and I went to the hospital more times than I'd like to admit. But in the end, I was always all right.

"Senior year came around. Just one more year until high school was over. My classmates broke into my dorm for one of their yearly pranks, the kind they did to every student living in residence. They found my pills in my desk. And then, the worst year of my life started. They had ammo against me. But instead of getting me kicked out, they decided to hold it over my head and force me to help them."

Cole scooted an inch closer to Jay. "What did they do?"

"They made me help them cheat. I sent them all my completed homework. They copied ideas from my essays and labs. It sucked, but at the same time, it made me feel safe. If they told on me, I could tell on them right back," Jay said. He placed his fingers on his knee, tapping them in a specific order that appeared like a code. First, he tapped his thumb and pinkie sequentially. "A." Thumb and ring finger. "B." Thumb and middle finger. "C." He tapped his index finger and thumb sequentially. "D."

"On exams, too?" Cole said. "I thought they checked answers for cheating. How'd you get away with it?"

"These students weren't stupid. They just wanted better grades," Jay replied. "They only copied when they didn't know the answer."

"Are they all in university now?" Cole asked. Jay nodded in response. "Cool. It's nice to know they may have gotten into programs they didn't deserve to. Really gives me hope for our society's future."

"They would have gotten in anyways. I don't think you understand just how far money gets you. These kids, they went through private school their whole lives. They had the best teachers, the best schools, and the best opportunities." There was an anger in Jay's voice now. "Universities eat that shit up. These kids get into the best programs without ever trying and not because they're smart or hardworking, but because their parents paid for them to be there. And you know what? When they graduate university, their parents will be ready to hire them into whatever company they work for, whether or not they're good enough to be there. But kids like me? My parents are scrap collectors in the Sands. They never expected me to get this far. Everything I'm doing now, even living in the city, has defied their expectations." Jay hugged his knees and his voice went quiet. "It scares me. It really does. One slip up, one mistake, and I'm gone. I can't complain to my parents, because although they're supportive, they always try to convince me to come home. I can't do that. That kind of life isn't for me. I came here because it felt like I _had to_. I don't believe in fate or destiny, but one of them brought me here somehow and I need to succeed. I can't fail. It would kill me."

"I don't think you will," said Cole. "You've been through a lot, but you're still here."

Jay turned his face towards him. Now, there was a small smile on his face.

"Yeah. I still am."

They didn't go back inside the venue. Cole texted the group chat to update them on what had happened and then took off with Jay, walking through the city with him. Cole didn't know where he was going, but neither did Jay, so it was okay. On their walk, Cole bought them slushies because the city's summer was hot even at night and they compared flavors and eventually their newly-coloured tongues that were blue and purple, bringing him back to the times they would break into Cole's candy stash on the bounty and eat until their mouths changed colours.

Jay began to text him every day. They would talk about their days, make plans for later, and sometimes, if Cole was lucky, Jay bring up previously-unknown stories from his past. Most of them were unimportant, like times he fought with the other children in his community or built small inventions from the technology his parents would find buried in the desert sands. One day, as August approached its end, Jay confessed to something greater.

 **onyx  
** What's your earliest memory?

 **walker  
** wow cool question to ask the kid with memory issues bud

 **walker  
** weirdly enough though its a dream

 **walker  
** when i was a kid, i had a few dreams about being on a pirate ship

 **walker  
** everyone there (like the pirates) called me "walker" and obviously it has stuck with me

 **walker  
** but they weren't exactly happy dreams

 **walker  
** i was being held prisoner in a lot of them. you know how kids always have violent fucked up fantasies? maybe that was mine, idk. but all i can is that my earliest memory was this series of dreams i had about being a prisoner on a pirate ship :/

 **onyx  
** Do you want to visit a real pirate ship with me?

 **walker  
** are you talking about destiny's bounty? the ninja ship? i went there once with my history class. it was kind of boring.

**-onyx has left the conversation!-**

It was the last day of August. School was on the horizon. Jay had finally received his fall schedule, so he was running around his various jobs to make sure they could accomodate his new schedule. Once everything was sorted out, he called Cole to complain about a particular manager for ten minutes straight—Cole barely got a word in—before suddenly hanging up at the end of his rant.

Cole was really glad they had reached this stage in their relationship.

They decided to meet up to celebrate the end of summer. With no plan in mind, Cole promised to meet Jay at a skytrain station close to downtown and rode the elevator all the way up, earphones in to drown out the noise of the evening crowd.

He was ten stops away from the station when the group chat blew up.

**in: ninja squad 2.0**

**nyarai  
** GUYS CHECK ANY SOCIAL MEDIA FEED /RIGHT NOW/

 **kai_fire13  
** k one sec im kinda busy

 **nyarai  
** NOW!

 **kai_fire13  
** okay holy shit. did a member of your favourite boy band die or something

 **nyarai  
** NO BUT YOUR GUESS IS CLOSE

 **kai_fire13  
** wait what the fuck

 **kai_fire13  
** HOLY SHIT?

 **kai_fire13  
** @flintcole WHERE ARE YOU PLEASE ANSWER

 **flintcole  
** I'm on the train, what's up?

**kai_fire13 has started a group call . . .**

**accepting request . . .**

**pending . . .**

**connected!**

" _Cole, where's the safest place for you right now?"_ Kai demanded, his voice panicked and quick. _"You need to answer me right now. Where is it?"_

" _Don't answer!"_ Nya blurted out. _"It's too dangerous. They're probably listening in right now!"_

His stomach sank. "Guys, what's going on?"

" _It's Feng,"_ Nya said. _"He posted it everywhere. Your address, name, everything. It's not just a doxx. It's an open call for your assassination."_

She sent him an image.

Cole looked around the train. The passengers were mostly middle-aged, on their way home from work after a long day. They were all absorbed in their phones. He was safe. For now.

"Noted. I'll figure it out. Nya, sign them up for Secure. We can talk there. Bye."

He closed the call. A new notification lit up at the bottom of his vision.

**-nyarai has deleted the group chat "ninja squad 2.0"-**

One stop passed. Cole watched the newcomers with scrutiny, judging out of the corner of his eye. As the train pulled away from the station, he reached into his backpack and pulled out his black face mask. Sliding it over his nose, he felt a little more protected. It would be harder to tell him apart from the rest of the crowd now.

**-walker has opened a new chatroom!-**

**secure_bot  
** Welcome to Secure, Ninjago's safest messaging service! Your messages will remain on our isolated, closed-circuit servers, keeping you safe from government surveillance and private tracking. Remember to donate to ensure that your communications remain private! Safe chatting!

 **walker  
** i find it pretty interesting that the black ninja is your roommate? you have to introduce me to him one day

 **walker  
** oh wait, you can't! CAUSE YOU'RE THE BLACK NINJA!

 **onyx  
** Look, I'm sorry for keeping it a secret from you, but I'm in some trouble right now. If you won't help me, stop messaging me. We'll deal with this later.

 **walker  
** the calculating leader makes a return i see

 **walker  
** ill help you. meet me at the same station. i know somewhere safe.

 **onyx  
** Thanks.

Eight stops away. New riders. No one dangerous.

 **walker  
** you trust me right

 **onyx  
** I trust you with my life right now.

 **walker  
** okay

Seven stops. A new passenger, a young girl that appeared to be around fifteen, stood across from him and stared. He met her eyes. They were bright, bright green. Under her hood, so was her hair.

She looked a little . . .

Oh, no.

The train left the station. Two minutes until the next stop. Without a second thought, he took off down the car, walking quickly until he reached the end. He waited next to the door. He kept an eye on Tox, who continued to stare at the place he used to be. He anxiously checked the time on the train's TV, counting the seconds until it was due to arrive at the next station.

Twenty seconds left. She reached into her pocket. One tense moment later, she whipped out a pistol and Cole realized he had to react. As she pulled the gun up to his eye-level, he saw a thick bracelet hanging from her wrist. A bracelet, he noticed, that was decorated with gemstones.

With a flick of his wrist, the bracelet snapped her hand towards her and she hit herself across the cheek with the butt of her gun. Before she could recover, he flicked his wrist again, throwing her down to the floor.

 _Ding!_ The trains doors opened. Cole jumped out, took a step to the right, and then hopped into the next car over. The doors closed. He built up the courage to look out the window. Tox was stalking around the station, looking quite angry. Then the train launched itself onto the elevated tracks and she disappeared from sight.

To his right, Cole saw a little boy riding alone, holding onto one of the poles near the door.

"Hey, you're not part of a secret society, right?" Cole asked him.

The kid shook his head. In the midst of his adrenaline, Cole chose to believe him.

The next six stops came and went without incident. Jay was waiting for him on the platform of the tenth station. He grabbed Cole's hand, and without a word, took off towards the emergency stairs. Cole boosted him up and Jay vaulted over, then hung on and offered Cole his hand. Cole took it, and together, they made their way down the stairs.

There was a car waiting at the bottom. Jay opened the door and the slid inside, piling into the back seat. The driver took off without a word.

"What is this?" Cole said.

"I booked it on one of those taxi apps," Jay replied. He put up his hand before Cole could protest. "Don't worry about the charge. I have money set aside for emergencies, and if this isn't one of them, I don't know what is."

His heart beat began to slow as the drive turned away from the crowded, downtown streets and into the relative safety of a residential area. "Thank you so much," he said. "You're literally saving my life right now. See? This is why you're my best friend."

Jay shook his head. "You're mine, too."

The cab pulled up in front of a small apartment building on the edge of the city. "Thanks," Jay told the driver, then opened the door and left. Cole thanked the driver and followed suit.

Jay led Cole up several flights of stairs, bringing him to a small studio apartment at the end of the seventh floor hallway. Inside, a bed was tucked into one corner, a low table was a few feet away from the kitchen counter, and several pieces of clothing were laid out on the radiator in the back of the room.

"Welcome to my home," Jay said. He spun in a circle with his arms out, as through showing it off to Cole. "This is where you'll be living until this whole thing blows over."

"I have a feeling Borg will want to protect me at some point, but this is fine for now. Thanks again."

"I keep forgetting that you're basically an ancient artifact. Are you like the Serpentine tunnels? Do they have nindroids protecting you?"

"Well, I have Zane."

"And he's the white ninja, isn't he? Fuck. You know, I got one hundred percent on my history final and I _still_ didn't realize you two were the living ninja. I can't believe this."

"I mean, in your defense, the history curriculum says that we live in the countryside. We convinced the government to do it so we could live in the city without people bothering us all the time."

"You mean to tell me that history has been permanently altered just because you asked the ruling body to do it?"

"Yeah. Pretty much."

"I think I need to lie down for a bit."

**-mer has opened a new chatroom!-**

**secure_bot  
** Welcome to Secure, Ninjago's safest messaging service! Your messages will remain on our isolated, closed-circuit servers, keeping you safe from government surveillance and private tracking. Remember to donate to ensure that your communications remain private! Safe chatting!

 **mer  
** Are you okay? Where are you?

**nini**

Please tell me you are okay.

 **onyx  
** Please tell me "nini" isn't your username.

 **nini  
** It is short for 'nindroid'. I thought we were using code names.

 **onyx  
** We are and that's a beautiful name. Never change.

 **mer  
** Okay guys, quick reminder to AVOID giving away personal details while we talk on messaging apps. We don't know if they can see this or not.

 **fifi  
** your name is nini?

 **fifi  
** well this is awkward

 **fifi  
** one of us has to change

 **mer  
** It's fine.

 **mer  
** Onyx, since you're joking around, can we assume you're somewhere safe?

 **onyx**  
Currently at a mystery friend's apartment. It's all good.

 **fifi  
** damn jay is so cool

 **mer  
** Holy shit.

 **mer  
** When you get home, I'm going to hit you.

 **fifi  
** wtf? whats your damage

**-mer has kicked fifi from the chatroom!-**

**mer  
** He'll do more harm than good right now.

 **nini  
** Kai has never been very subtle.

 **nini  
** Wait.

**-mer has kicked nini from the chatroom!-**

**mer  
** I'm going to hit him at work tomorrow.

 **onyx  
** We should add Ronin to really get the party started.

 **mer  
** Lol :'D

 **mer  
** Okay, but seriously, I know we're only joking around to de-stress and avoid acknowledging the situation. What's the game plan moving forward?

 **onyx  
** I'm staying at you-know-who's for tonight. The rest of the time, I'm not sure. I don't want to put him in danger by staying here too long.

 **mer  
** Come to Borg tomorrow morning. I'll arrange for a secured car to pick you up. We'll keep you safe in the Tower.

 **onyx  
** That's probably safest.

 **mer  
** Okay. Just hang on tight tonight. I'm sure you can protect yourself.

 **mer  
** Message us if anything is wrong.

**-mer has closed the chatroom!-**

Jay was laying on his stomach on the middle of the floor, staring at a wall. While Jay entered a thought coma, Cole took the time to look around Jay's apartment more. Next to his bed, there was a computer monitor that seemed to double as a TV. His kitchen was rather empty, although with Jay's schedule, it was unlikely that he was home often enough to justify keeping perishables.

"Are you creeping in my place?"

Cole stopped dead in his tracks. He turned around slowly, expecting to see Jay on his feet, but he was still on the floor, face turned away from him. Cole snorted. "Are you going to get up soon?"

"I only have one bed. I think this is where I'm going to crash for the night."

Cole looked at the bed, then back to Jay. "You have a double bed. It fits both of us."

"Oh, you're cool with it?" Jay rolled over and stood up. "Everyone at LLC freaked out when they had to touch each other. Sharing beds on school trips was an adventure every time. Kids in the Sands don't care, so maybe it's a city kid thing?"

"Dude, I don't know anything about today's youth. Don't ask me."

"Ha." Jay grinned. "You're so old."

"Whatever. Are we sleeping or not? I want to wake up tomorrow and forget this night ever happened."

Jay ran across the apartment, flipped off the light switch, and then grabbed Cole's arm and guided him to the bed. As they settled in, pulling the covers over themselves, Jay commented, "I wish sleeping it off worked. I used to have really bad social anxiety. It's still here, but you should have seen me when I was in high school. Ouch. I hurt remembering it. Anyways, whenever I did something embarrassing, I could never sleep. I just hated myself for hours on end, and when I finally fell asleep, I would just wake up and hate myself all over again. Life is rough."

They both faced opposite directions, but the conversation continued on the same. "Tell me about it. I used to get a lot of nightmares. When the other ninja died, they came every second night. It fucked me up. Eventually, I just stopped sleeping. I'd go days without it. It took intervention from Zane—and my very committed therapist at the time—to bring my sleep schedule back to normal. Avoiding things just doesn't work, does it?"

"Nah." A pause. "Got any cool stories?"

"About what?"

"I don't know. How'd you become a ninja? They don't go over that in history class."

"Oh. Well, my dad was a member of this theatre group called _The Royal Blacksmiths_. They were pretty popular at the time. He wanted me to follow in his footsteps. Like you, I moved to the city when I was a teenager to go to some snobby private school, but this one was for performing arts, not general studies. I hated every minute of it. I don't _hate_ dancing, singing, or acting—I hate being forced to do things I don't want to do. My dad didn't make it much better. He yelled over every little thing. I have distinct memories of locking myself in the bathroom so I wouldn't have to deal with it after a long day of school. During my senior year, it came to a boiling point. I couldn't live there anymore or continue going to school for something I didn't care about. I ran away. I lived on the streets for a while, maybe around two years, before Sensei Wu recruited me. He found out about me when I started free climbing up the sides of mountains. I guess he thought I had some kind of ninja potential and took me under his wing."

"Geez. I'm sorry about your dad."

"It's okay. I kind of made peace with him later on. He wasn't the best, but he wasn't so bad that I couldn't bring myself to forgive him."

"I'm bad at forgiving people," Jay said. He chuckled. "I can hold a grudge forever."

Cole remembered being at the receiving end of one of Jay's grudges. It was rough. "Really? Anyone in particular you hate? I can beat them up for you."

Jay laughed again. "Do you want to beat up everyone that extorted me in high school? That would be a big bro move."

"Consider it done," Cole replied. "Once this whole assassination thing is over, they're my next targets. I'll teach them not to mess with you."

"Thanks." Jay sighed. "Not just for that. But for everything."

"What? I've barely done anything."

"You've _listened._ I like that about you. Everyone else just waits for their turn to speak."

That was a kick to the gut. His mind flashed back to a similar scene: laying in their bunk bed, talking the night away, only to be interrupted by Jay giving Cole thanks for something as simple as being a good listener.

This was becoming too much. It was time to sleep.

Cole yawned loudly. "It's no problem. I'm tired. Want to sleep?"

"Sure. Goodnight, Cole."

Jay rolled over. He wrapped his arms around Cole, bringing him closer. Cole smiled, and after a moment's hesitation, leaned in.

They fell asleep, secure from any threats in each other's arms. Cole trusted him. Jay finally trusted him back. With this thought, his dreams were sweet. He was on a ship with Jay, sailing across the waters, searching for new islands. The colours were bright. It was always warm. At night, they spoke honestly to one another, telling all the truths from their pasts in an effort to bridge any distance between them.

Cole awoke to Jay shifting suddenly. He felt himself drifting back into sleep, but a sudden weight on his stomach drew him from his semi-consciousness. Jay's knees were on either side of his torso. His eyes were wide open, wild and dead at the same time.

"Jay, what . . .?"

It was at this moment that Jay drove the knife into his stomach.

Self-defense instincts kicked in. He used one arm to shove Jay off of him, throwing him several feet away. The pain made his mind hazy. Was he supposed to keep the blade in or take it out? Without thinking, he yanked it out and threw the knife to the side. He blinked to activate his biotech.

Jay came running back, throwing himself onto Cole and knocking him flat on the mattress. He wrestled with Cole, trying to get his hands to his throat while Cole fended him off. In a cruel move, Jay brought his knee down into Cole's stomach wound. Cole rolled over and coughed violently, staining Jay's white pillows with blood.

 _Call Zane_ , he thought. His biotech responded. _Record surroundings._ A red light flickered on in the top of his vision.

Cole managed to throw Jay off of him again, this time with more force. Jay crashed onto the floor near the kitchen. Cole had a few seconds until he'd come back.

Zane picked up on the second ring.

" _Cole? Are you okay? Why are you call—"_

"Come here . . . now . . ." he croaked.

" _I am on my way right now. Hold on."_

Zane hung up. Using all of his strength, Cole stood up. His vision swayed and he nearly fell. He surveyed the room before him. Where was Jay?

He was tackled from the side. His body missed the mattress and his head smashed against the floor, sending black spots across his vision. He tried to push Jay off of him, but his strength was fading, and he was finally going to die, wasn't he?

Jay rolled him over onto his back. Cole felt so helpless, so vulnerable, that he did nothing to stop it.

But he mustered the strength to speak.

"What . . . are you . . . doing?"

"The Sleep Walker has been activated." Jay slid his fingers into Cole's hair and yanked his head up. For a moment, the combined pain made his vision go white. "The Second Rise is no longer hiding in the shadows. Feng sends his regards."

Jay slammed Cole's head against the floor and he fell away from the world.

* * *

The room was white. As Cole came to, he lifted up his arm to shield his eyes from the harsh fluorescents above him. His skull felt as though it was cracked in two, each movement sending stabs of pain through his head. His stomach wasn't much better.

A nurse came in. Her footsteps were too loud. Cole winced.

"Shh, it's okay," she whispered. Cole followed her movements to a panel of monitors near him. She adjusted something. Within a few moments, unconsciousness began to tug at his mind. "You have a concussion. We have an advanced treatment all laid out for you. Go back to sleep. When you wake up, you'll be back to normal."

She smiled and his world died again.

The next time he awoke, he was in a different room. It was like a hotel room. One bed. A TV. At the other end, a door that led into a bathroom. The walls were a pale yellow. There was no window. The digital clock hung on the wall told him it was early afternoon.

His head felt better. They must have actually cured his concussion.

His hands trailed down and lifted the hem of his shirt. There was a nasty scar on his stomach, but the wound was closed. Zane must have gotten there quite soon after he'd passed out. He wondered what that would have looked like. Did Zane have to take Jay down? Had he already escaped?

There was a knock on his door. Nya poked her head inside. "Feeling better?"

"I'm awake."

She stepped inside. Cole noticed thick bags under her eyes. Her hair was greasy. How long had she been awake?

"We're having a meeting in a few minutes. There's something I want you to see."

His legs felt weak, so walking wasn't easy, but he made it to a large meeting room with Nya's support. As soon as Cole entered, Zane threw his arms around him and brought him into a tight hug.

"Do not scare me like that," he said sternly. "You are not allowed to die unless I say so."

"Thanks, mom." But he returned the hug, burying his face into the nindroid's shoulder. His face grew heavy. He rubbed it into Zane's shoulder to get rid of the tears in his eyes.

"I'm glad you're feeling better, black ninja."

Cole looked up. In his blurry vision, he saw a man with long, combed black hair in an expensive-looking suit. He smiled when he met eyes with Cole.

"Sorry, you must not know who I am. My name is Khan. I'm head of security here at Borg Industries."

Cole took a step back from Zane. The head of security was one of the most esteemed positions in all of Ninjago. This wasn't someone he wanted to see him cry.

"It's n-nice to meet you," Cole stammered out. "I'm a bit of a mess right now. I can leave if it's going to disrupt your meeting."

"Please, stay. Nya and Zane have been some of my best employees for years. If they want something, I give it to them." Khan gestured to one of the chair at the long table. "They want you here. Sit down. You can't be in the best shape right now."

Cole was relieved to sit down. Zane and Nya took the seats at either side of him. A handful of Borg employees were also in the room, their faces sharp with focus as they watched Khan move to the whiteboard. At the far end of the room, blinds descended over the large windows that made up the whole wall.

"Cole, you have been asleep for two weeks," Khan began. "When Zane arrived on the scene, Jay was passed out next to your unconscious body. He assumed you had both been attacked. But after reviewing your biotech footage, we discovered that it was Jay who attacked you, not a random assailant from the Second Rise. Since Jay fell unconscious before Zane got to the apartment, the Second Rise has no way of knowing if you're alive or not. We know you're safe. They think otherwise."

Cole looked to Nya. She shrugged. "Wait," he said. "They think I'm dead?"

"All of Ninjago thinks you're dead. Thirteen days ago, we announced to the world that you had died of blood loss after a fatal stabbing in stranger's home." Pictures of news articles were projected on the whiteboard. Khan pressed a button on the table. More pictures, this time of funeral proceedings with candles, appeared on the board. "Your funeral was yesterday. I'm sorry that this was done without your input. It was the only way to convince the Second Rise that Jay had successfully carried out his mission."

His gut wrenched. There was a missing piece. "Then where's Jay?"

"There's a prison facility in Borg's basement for cases like this," Khan answered. "He's there right now."

Khan pressed another button. A live-feed of a prison cell jumped onto the board. Cole could recognize the top of Jay's head. He sat on the edge of the small bed, staring at his feet. The sight made him want to vomit.

"He thinks he murdered me," he breathed. His eyes narrowed. "You can't do that. He's innocent!"

"Your friends said the same thing, but they eventually changed their minds," Khan said. Cole looked to Nya again. She turned her head to avoid his eyes. "I know this seems wrong. I don't feel comfortable with the situation either. But after we arrested Jay, we discovered something new about him."

Another picture. This time, an x-ray of a brain with a chip and web-like nodes sprawling across the image.

"Jay had a neuroprosthetic implant in his hippocampus. It's not quite biotech; he has no control over it. We haven't had time to test it, but we believe its function is to prevent short-term memories from transferring to long-term storage. The Second Rise likely put it there to monitor his actions." Khan cut back to the live footage of Jay in his cell. "We believe this was implanted a long time ago. The Second Rise turned Jay into a sleeper agent many, many years ago. He's been a grenade ready to go off his whole life."

"Okay. He's blown up, now. Take out the implant and set him free."

"We will. Soon." A look of sympathy crossed Khan's face. "I know this is hard for you. But Jay is our only key to the Second Rise. We don't know if they're still communicating with him. If we're lucky, they want him to continue with a follow-up mission. With this in mind, Nya has designed a wonderful new piece of technology. Why don't you tell your friend about it?"

"It's like a keyboard logger," she explained. "Tomorrow, Jay will be brought into the medical ward for surgery. We'll attach the device to his implant. Once active, it will log all of the implant's activities so we can see what it really does. Then we can decide if Jay is safe for release or not."

"Fine," Cole said. "Figure out if he's safe or not. But if he is, I want him out of there."

"That's not how—" Nya began to say. Khan interrupted her.

"It's okay. I can tell him." On the footage behind Khan, Jay stood up. He walked around. From his arm gestures, Cold knew he was speaking to himself. He could only imagine what was going through his head. "Safe or not, Jay will remain here. And so will you."

"Me?" Cole demanded. "How long are we pretending that I'm dead?"

"Anywhere from a few months to a number of years. We need you as a surprise weapon. In the meantime, Zane, Nya, and her brother have promised to act as Ninjago's ninja if the need arises."

"I'm going to be locked in here for _how long_?"

"You'll help us," Khan said. "Zane speaks highly of your strategy in the field. As we speak, our nindroids are preparing to conduct invasions of known Second Rise incubators. We need someone like you in the war room, so to speak."

The suggestion angered him. He stood up quickly, throwing his weak body off balance. He gripped the table to keep himself upright while he spoke. "I want to help take down the Second Rise. But as long as Jay is in there, I'm not helping. Find another tactician."

It took all his strength to march out of the meeting room. As soon as he was down the hall, he allowed himself to collapse against the wall and catch his breath. His bones felt hollow. He needed to rest.

He found his room and promptly threw himself onto the bed. He shifted until he was comfortable, then blinked to activate his biotech. His home menu appeared before his vision. But it was different.

Most of his apps had vanished. Typing their names into the search did nothing, and when he went to the app store to re-download them, found the app store was no longer installed. There was no way for him to access it. Among his apps, games and news apps were still accessible. Anything related to social media or communications was no longer there. The only app he could use to connect with the outside world was Borg's own messaging service, rarely used by the public out of fears of surveillance. He opened the app. His only contacts were Zane, Kai, Nya, and Khan himself. There was no one else he could speak to.

He opened the web browser. All of his favourite forums were suddenly inaccessible, pages never getting past the loading screen or causing his browser app to crash after a few minutes of waiting.

It was official: he was cut off from the outside world until the Second Rise was dealt with.

Was this meant to be a bargaining chip, or were they censoring him for security? Cole couldn't imagine they trusted him enough to give him open access to websites where he could announce to the Internet that he was still alive.

He glanced around his room. It was so small, it was barely fit his bed. He was glad he wasn't claustrophobic.

With nothing to do, it didn't take long for him to fall back asleep. After two weeks in a medically-induced coma, he figured he would have had enough sleep to last him for quite a while. But he was still so _tired_ and his body was happy to fall back into the calming realm of unconsciousness once again.

He awoke feeling rejuvenated. He stretched, sat up in the bed, and opened his eyes. His heart skipped a beat at the sight of Zane watching him from the other end of the room.

"Cole."

"Zane."

"How did you sleep?"

"Okay. What do you want?"

Zane didn't emote much, but he could tell the hostility in Cole's voice threw him off. Cole hated disagreeing with one of his best friends, but he couldn't believe that Zane had endorsed their experiment with Jay. It was uncharacteristic of him.

And yet, here they were.

"You are my best friend, Cole," Zane said. "I do not wish to argue with you."

"Then what did you come here to do?"

Zane sighed. "Jay is okay. He is not being mistreated for the sake of catching the Second Rise."

"He thinks he killed me. That's not mistreating him?"

"As I have told you, he is okay. I would not support this if I thought he could not handle it."

Jay wasn't one to handle anything. Zane knew that Jay's first instinct was to _panic_ , not rationalize or remain calm. A situation like this wasn't one to be digested easily by anyone, let alone someone as anxiety-prone as Jay. Cole had seen him on the live-feed during the meeting, walking around in his cell and talking to himself. How did that strike Zane as the state of someone who was _okay_?

Cole scowled. "If this is an experiment, everything is recorded for the records, right?"

"Yes. Would you like the live-feed on your TV?"

"In a bit. First, I want you to show me a video." Cole leaned forward. "I want you to play the moment you told him he was a murderer."

Zane blinked. A few seconds later, the TV turned on and crystal-clear security camera footage was displayed on the screen. The scene reminded him of the tutoring centre. In the centre of a plain room, there was a metal desk. Jay sat on one end. His hands were attached to the table by handcuffs looped around a metal rod. He looked around the room anxiously, head darting back and forth. Beneath the table, his right foot tapped the floor. Cole realized that at this moment, Jay didn't know why he was there. He could only imagine the terror.

A nindroid entered the room. It was a security model, the same kind that had chased Cole and Kai through the tunnels and watched over the inmates at the _Kryptarium._ It didn't sit down at the desk. It stood a few feet away from the empty chair, unmoving.

Jay spoke first. "Why am I here? Is it because I was with Cole? We're friends. If anything, we're best friends. You won't see anyone closer than us. Well, maybe Zane and Cole, since they've been bros for thousands of years now. But Cole and I have something _special_ , all right? He can vouch for me. Where is he, anyways?"

"What do you remember from last night?"

"Cole and I talked a bit, then slept. I woke up here covered in bruises. Do you know what happened? I'm really worried I somehow slept through an attack."

"Your account does not match our official records of the event. Are there any details you would like to add?"

"I—they don't? Look, I was asleep. I can't remember anything."

The nindroid gestured to a wall. "Please turn your attention to the wall to your right."

The room dimmed. A projector, barely visible in the corner of the screen, turned on. Cole couldn't see the video it played, but he could hear the audio. He recognized his conversation with Zane, Jay's final words before he slammed Cole's head into the ground. They were playing the footage saved in his biotech. Jay was seeing the assault through Cole's eyes.

The footage ended. Jay's eyes were wide, brimming with tears as he whipped his head around to face the nindroid again. "I didn't do that. I don't remember." His voice began to reach hysterics. "Please! I promise. I wouldn't attack Cole. He means a lot to me. I couldn't do that!"

"Then how do you suppose this footage exists?"

"I don't know. Maybe it's edited? What if they hacked his biotech to pin the blame on me?!"

"That is impossible." A pause. "Are you aware of the Second Rise?"

"They're the people that want to kill Cole and they're run by this evil guy named Feng and I _swear_ I was trying to protect him from them!"

"How did you intend to do that if you're one of them?"

"What? I'm not!"

" **Then why did you murder the black ninja?"**

"What? No, no, no, no, no, no. . ." Jay jumped up, knocking the chair back. He pulled on the handcuffs. The chains wouldn't budge. It was hard for Cole to look at his face. Tears ran down his red and puffy cheeks, and he blinked furiously, but couldn't be rid of his tears. It was a look of horror, but also one of utmost disbelief. Jay continued to beg until—

The TV turned off. Cole rubbed his eyes, removing his own tears. He turned to look at Zane. "This looks like someone that's okay to you?"

"It has been two weeks. He is not like this anymore." Zane took a step forward. He put a hand on Cole's knee, sitting on the edge of the bed. "Please. Help us defeat the Second Rise."

"No."

"You are putting your emotions in the way of logic," Zane said. "Your talents as a tactician are wasted in this room."

"You guys don't seem to have a problem coming up with plans on your own. I'm sure you'll do fine."

"Cole—"

"I don't want to hear it. Just leave."

Cole slid back into his covers and flipped onto his side. He only looked back when he heard the door shut. He was alone.

For the next week, he saw no one. A nurse gave him plates of food three times a day, but aside from that wordless interaction, no one visited him and he was still too angry to go outside. He played games on his biotech to keep his mind occupied. In the background, he had the live-feed of Jay's cell playing on his TV. He wasn't sure why. He didn't agree with the security team's decision, but they weren't evil—they wouldn't hurt Jay more than they already had to get at the Second Rise.

On his ninth day alone, Kai messaged him.

 **Kai3284547  
** whats ur fave ice cream flavor

 **Cole  
** Cookies n' cream.

 **Cole  
** But don't buy any.

 **Kai3284547  
** is this about the whole jay thing

 **Kai3284547  
** cuz nya said youre FUCKING PISSED

 **Cole  
** "Fucking pissed" is a pretty good way to put it.

 **Kai3284547  
** if it makes you feel any better i dont like it either

 **Cole  
** Holy shit, thank you. I'm glad I'm not the only one.

 **Kai3284547  
** in their defense both of them protested it when it started

 **Kai3284547  
** but even tho zanes an og ninja he has like no control over anything

 **Kai3284547  
** i think theyre just convincing themselves that its not that bad when really it is just that bad

 **Kai3284547  
** classic case of denial ya feel

 **Cole  
** Oh. You think so?

 **Kai3284547  
** i mean it seems pretty weird that theyd just drop their moral standards overnight yeah

 **Kai3284547  
** its good to know youre getting mad over it tho

 **Kai3284547**  
and you dont even know all of it

 **Cole  
** Do you?

 **Kai3284547  
** this is a secret between you and me but ya

 **Kai3284547  
** during the first like, two days, while nya and zane were against it, they went whole hog

 **Kai3284547  
** is it whole hog or full hog

 **Cole  
** I think it's whole hog.

 **Kai3284547  
** NICE

 **Kai3284547  
** they wanted to convince the second rise that it was all real right

 **Kai3284547  
** they used some pretty wyld interrogation techniques

 **Cole  
** They did? That doesn't sound good.

 **Kai3284547  
** U RITE it sucked

 **Kai3284547  
** one of the methods was locking him in a little dark box for like 10 hours

 **Kai3284547  
** apparently it makes you ready to tell the popos more about your evil schemes

ERROR: LOST CONNECTION

WAITING . . . WAITING . . .

APP CRASHED. RELOAD?

OPENING APP . . .

RESUMING CONVERSATION . . .

**Kai3284547  
** whats ur fave ice cream flavor

The rest of the conversation was missing. Reluctantly, Cole sent a reply.

 **Cole  
** Cookies n' cream. It's just the best flavor, you know?

 **Kai3284547  
** Yeah. It really is. I'll try to bring some to you if they let me.

Cole became acutely aware of how heavily he was being monitored. His communications were being read, and if they contained sensitive information, deleted. Okay. He would need to be more careful with how he spoke over the Borg messenger.

However, Cole wasn't one to be controlled. He was certain that he couldn't approach Khan about his surveillance, but that didn't mean he couldn't get the message across anyway.

 **Cole  
** Wow, this room is really small.

 **Nya7493875  
** Is it?

 **Cole  
** Yeah. It kind of feels like I've been trapped in a little box for ten hours.

She didn't reply. Kai never arrived with his ice cream. He wondered if the two incidents were related.

The fifteenth night arrived. Cole fell asleep and woke up in a familiar world. It felt hazy, and if he peered far away, noticed the details blur.

But there was one very clear thing standing before him.

"Jay?"

Jay turned around. His eyes widened at the sight of Cole. He took a step back. "No. Go away. I can't see you right now."

This felt too real. To cover distance, Cole took two steps forward. "You're dreaming."

"Of course, I'm dreaming. You're not alive in real life!" Jay exclaimed. "All you do is come in my dreams and haunt me. I keep having all these awful nightmares about us. I see us as kids chasing a dinosaur, or adults fighting in some kind of stone arena, but worst of all, I always see us as best friends facing the world together. Fuck. I'm so sorry, Cole. They keep telling me I killed you but I don't remember doing it. I have your blood on my hands and I can't even see it!"

Cole closed the space between them. He put his hands on Jay's shoulders and looked him in the eye. "These dreams; do you remember them when you wake up?"

"S-sometimes, yeah."

"I need you to remember this one. I need you to remember me saying this." He took a deep breath. "I'm not dead. I'm alive, living on one of the top floors of Borg Tower. You didn't kill me, Jay! They're lying to you."

Jay shoved him away. "Shut up! You're dead. They showed me the video."

"You knocked me out. You didn't kill me."

Jay put his head in his hands. "I hate this. I hate all of this. I hate my life. I worked so hard—so much harder than anyone I knew—and now I'm here. I'm in prison, dreaming about the person I killed because being awake isn't torture enough." He choked out a sob and continued. "Before you died, we talked about how you can't avoid your problems. But I don't want to face my reality in my dreams. I just want to sleep and get away from everything for a while."

Cole motioned to the scrapyard behind him. Slowly, Jay turned and faced it. "Where are we, Jay?"

"We're in the Sands, I think," he said. "It's not the same, but it reminds me of home."

Without looking back, Jay walked through the entrance. Cole followed behind him, keeping his distance as to not make Jay panic further. "This _was_ your home. You grew up here."

"I . . . what?" Jay turned to the trailer car. He jogged towards it and opened the door. The car was cramped, but Cole managed to squeeze in behind him. Jay picked up a framed photo. It was the old Jay's favorite—a picture of himself as a young teenager with his parents. The camera was invented and advanced quickly, going from film to digital between Cole's early days and the time he finally ran away from home. It was the first picture of Jay that had ever existed. "This is me. But I don't remember this place."

"You haven't realized who you are, have you?"

Cole hoped this was the way the trailer had been at the end of Jay's lifetime. If it was, he could find the evidence he needed. He walked to the end of the trailer, where Jay's childhood bed was stuffed into the corner. He lifted the mattress and stuck his hand beneath it, feeling around for something Jay had hidden there not too long after he'd finished his ninja training.

His fingers slammed against it. He sucked up the pain and brought it out from the mattress. He turned and showed them to Jay.

"These are his—your—nunchucks." Cole placed them in Jay's hand. He turned one of them so the inscription **J.W.** could be seen. "This is where you grew up in your first lifetime. I wish I could explain it under better circumstances, but things have kind of taken a turn lately, haven't they? I just want you to know that you're not just anyone. You're the blue ninja."

"But that's impossible."

"Why?"

Jay met his eyes. "Because you're dead."

And then the dream ended.

Cole awoke in his bed, dazed from the experience. His small room felt unreal. He'd never shared dreams like that before.

He felt the urge to tell his friends, but he couldn't. If Borg found out he could talk to Jay, they would find some way to make it stop. They'd force him to turn on his dream recorder so they could wake him up if he entered the dream space with Jay again. The last thing they wanted was for him to do what he had just done—reveal the truth.

Cole watched the live-feed of Jay's cell. Jay was awake, sitting up in his bed and staring at the wall. His eyes were glossed over, as though he'd seen something he couldn't believe. Cole hoped this meant that he'd remembered the dream.

It took another two days for Cole to find Jay in the dream space again. And for the next month, it happened every other day.

* * *

The second dream was at Chen's Noodle House. Meals rotated on the conveyor belt next to their table booth as they spoke.

"I can't believe this is happening again," Jay complained. He grabbed a bowl of his favourite rice dish off the belt and put it on the table. "But hey, dream-me has to eat, too. I'll take what I can get."

"You seem a lot calmer than the last time this happened," Cole commented.

"Well, if this is going to become a regular occurance, I don't want to be all emo about it." Jay broke up a set of chopsticks and used them to stuff a piece of pork into his mouth. "Like I said last time, my life is miserable enough when I'm awake. I'm just going to relax while I dream. Even if the ghost of my best friend is here to haunt me while I do it."

Cole laughed, and for that dream, they didn't talk about the present. They ate heaps of food and talked about their previous adventures in this life, laughing and teasing each other and acting like they used to.

When Cole woke up, he checked the TV. Jay wasn't quite awake yet, but there was a smile on his face.

* * *

 

Steep Wisdom. Jay showed Cole how to make his favourite tea. Cole found the CD player and loaded up one of the CDs still stacked next to it, playing ancient music that he hadn't heard in ages but could still remember the lyrics all the same.

On that day, they didn't talk much. But it wasn't an uncomfortable silence. They sat on the service counter, only a few centimetres away, and watched out through the tea shop's front doors as the sun fell behind the mountains in the distance.

* * *

 

The Monastery. Cole found him in their old bedroom, staring at pictures of the old ninja on the wall. Cole grabbed his hand and took him around back, where the dragons were kept. In this dream, they were laying in their stables, sleepy. It was hard to ignore Rocky, but Cole walked past his stall and opened the door to Wisp's, the ancient Lightning Dragon.

Wisp's eyes opened at the sound of the door opening. When it saw Jay and Cole, it huffed and shifted a little before closing its eyes again to sleep. Cole led Jay closer, guiding his hand to the dragon until it rested on its nose. Wisp didn't move.

"I thought dragons were supposed to be aggressive," Jay said. "Shouldn't it be attacking me?"

"It knows you."

"The blue ninja's dragon?"

"Dude."

"I know, I know, you keep telling me that I'm the blue ninja," he said. A pause. "But I don't want to be someone else. I want to be me."

"It's okay," Cole said softly. "I don't think you'll ever be anyone else."

* * *

 

Temple of Airjitzu. Shadows loomed over its exterior. Trees rustled. Cole latched onto Jay to feel grounded.

"I don't want to be here," Cole said.

"That's okay. Let's go somewhere else."

The dream wasn't meant to go much farther. They turned around and walked into nothingness together, holding on to each other until their surroundings disappeared and they could no longer feel or see or hear each other and they finally woke up.

* * *

The beach of Chen's island. They took off their shoes and sat close to the water, letting the waves splash over their feet as the sun beat down on them. There was the sound of fighting in the background. They ignored it.

"Do you think it will be like this for the rest of my life?" Jay asked.

"Like what?"

"When I'm awake, I do nothing. I lay on my bed and tell myself stories or come up with ideas for new inventions to pass the time. Here, while I sleep, I travel the world." He laid down on the sand, using his hands to cushion the back of his head. "I daydream a lot. As a kid, I imagined myself far away from the Sands, living out my dream as an engineer at Borg and maybe meeting someone to fall in love with. Then, when I was old enough, we'd leave town and travel around the island, exploring the countryside and the mountains and the forests. I can't do that anymore. It's funny. When I'm awake, I'm dead. But here, in my dreams, I'm alive."

"This won't last for much longer," Cole said. "I promise."

"How can you say that? I killed one of the most important people alive. They won't let me off easy."

"They won't. But I won't let them get away with it for much longer."

"What do you mean?"

"You don't believe that I'm alive. That's fine. But sooner or later, you'll be free again. Even if I have to do something about it myself."

"You can't bust me out."

"I don't like to be controlled. Most people assume that the ninja have become passive after so many years of living. Maybe they're right. But if Borg has made any mistake, it was underestimating just how far I'll go for my friends. Way back then, we promised to do anything for each other. I don't think Khan realizes that my loyalty to you is far greater than my loyalty to a cause."

"How far will you go?"

"For you? For the others? I'd die."

"Really?"

"I would know. I've done it before."

* * *

 

It was October when they shared the dream space for the last time. It was on a ship, the same one he'd dreamed of so many months ago when he saw Jay defend himself from Feng.

This time, they weren't alone.

Cole was in the back again, against the wall. Across from him, Feng prowled along, his long hair tied back as he observed a wall lined with young children. He stopped in the middle and kneeled down. He inspected one child for a long time. Cole's arms were bound to the wall behind him, but he slid as far to the side as he could so Feng's back no longer obstructed his vision.

The child was a young boy. Auburn hair. Freckles. A cut above his right eye that spilled blood onto his face.

Cole yelled without thinking. "Jay!"

Feng looked over his shoulder. Except it wasn't Feng, like he'd always thought.

It was Khan.

* * *

 

_I'm not safe. None of us are._

For the first time in their shared dreams, Cole had entered Jay's long-forgotten memories. It revealed something so important he found he could no longer close his eyes.

Khan was a member of the Second Rise. Not only was this whole situation cruel, it was useless. Khan would never let them catch the Second Rise while in power. Jay and Cole would be locked in the Tower for eternity.

Cole wanted to help Jay escape. But now, he knew that was too naive. He couldn't free Jay without first taking down the man that was responsible for his imprisonment.

He needed help. All Nindroids in the country responded to Khan, making him a threat Cole could not deal with on his own. He could trust Kai, but their communications were censored, and he didn't trust him to understand a secret code. Zane was smart, but integrated with Borg's main system. Cole couldn't work with him until Khan was removed from Borg.

This left him with one obvious choice.

 **Cole  
** Do you think you could grab my electronic keyboard from my apartment? I'm seriously dying of boredom in here.

 **Nya7493875  
** Feeling a little more friendly?

 **Cole  
** Yeah. I'm sorry about the way I acted. I think I just needed to get over my feelings and analyze the situation a little more.

 **Nya7493875  
** That's good. And don't feel too pressured to participate or anything. I don't think you were in the wrong to be angry.

 **Cole  
** Thanks. I appreciate it.

 **Nya7493875  
** No problem! I'll bring your keyboard around tomorrow.

Just as promised, she arrived at Cole's room the next evening, lugging his keyboard into his room by herself. They found a plug and Cole invited her to sit on his bed with him. He placed the keyboard on top of their laps and turned it on.

"Are you ready to continue our piano lessons?" he asked her.

A confused look crossed her face. Then, she smiled. "Of course. It's been so long. I think I'm starting to get rusty."

"I'm going to teach you one of my favourite songs. My dad composed it. And remember, we're working on training your ear. Memorize the notes and _how many_ there are."

"I got you, chief," Nya replied. There was a knowing smile on her face. Cole hoped she understood what he was trying to do.

The song was based on one his father had written, but deviated from the original for the purpose of the _code_. The song wasn't long, only two minutes. It was peaceful, serene. And within it, a secret message for Nya to decypher.

Every full break in the song represented a gap between words. Every one note break represented a new letter. The number of notes between a break represented a single letter. The message was straightforward.

11-8-1-14 9-19 20-19-18

KHAN. IS. TSR.

He played it many times, giving Nya the chance to record it with her phone. After the sixth time playing it, Cole turned off his piano and gave her permission to leave. "I know the piece is a little tricky. Once you figure it out, come back and play it for me."

"All right. I'll see you soon, black ninja."

It took one week for Nya to understand the code. She returned, and without saying a word, turned on Cole's piano and played a piece of her own.

He counted as she played.

14-15 26-1-14-5

NO. ZANE.

He assumed it was a question. He leaned over and played a new piece.

14-15-20 19-1-6-5

NOT. SAFE.

She played another song.

23-8-1-20 20-15 4-15

WHAT. TO. DO.

One last song.

16-18-9-14-20 19-8-5-5-20 13-21-19-9-3

PRINT. SHEET. MUSIC.

Nya left the room and came back a few minutes later with a stack of empty sheet music. She gave him the stack, a pen, and left him to start writing.

16-18-5-20-5-14-4 18-15-14-9-14 23-1-14-20-19 20-15 12-5-1-11 11-8-1-14-19 19-5-3-18-5-20-19 12-5-1-4 8-9-13 20-15 18-15-14-9-14-19 8-15-21-19-5 8-5 3-15-13-5-19 1-12-15-14-5 9 23-9-12-12 6-1-3-5 8-9-13 20-8-5-18-5 20-8-5-14 23-5 9-13-16-18-15-22-9-19-5

PRETEND RONIN WANTS TO LEAK KHANS SECRETS. LEAD HIM TO RONINS HOUSE. HE COMES ALONE. I WILL FACE HIM THERE. THEN WE IMPROVISE.

He handed her the fake composition. She read it over, looked up, and nodded. "I'll practice this at home. Expect to have it ready by Tuesday evening."

It was Friday. If Nya was telling the truth, he had three days to figure out how to escape from Borg Tower. He knew he couldn't just take the elevator down to the ground floor and walk out through the front doors. With how many cameras were in the building, there was no sneaking out, either. His escape route would require more creativity than he was used to.

On Saturday, he spent his day exercising his elemental powers. He curled his fingers into fists over and over again, feeling the power surge through his veins. He couldn't practice on rocks, but he allowed himself to feel more in touch with his powers again. As he thought of his escape plan, he knew he would need it.

It was Monday night when he began to enact his plan.

 **Cole  
** I'm not sure if Nya told you, but I've been thinking about what you said. I think you're right. I was putting my emotions before the mission. If it's not too late, do you think I could still sign on as a tactician?

 **Zane  
** It's never too late. Would you like to start tomorrow?

 **Cole  
** Sure.

His first meeting was in the early afternoon. Inside the meeting room, only Zane and a few other staff members were present. This was a good sign.

"Where's Khan and Nya?" he asked.

"In an emergency meeting," Zane replied. "They wanted to be here, but it is apparently too important."

He smiled. Nya was following through with the plan. Now, it was his turn.

Cole walked around the large meeting table, slowly making his way to the large windows that made up the far wall. They were thick, made of bulletproof glass that could resist even the strongest of external forces. But where earth could create mountains, an earthquake could destroy a village. He knew too well that anything could be broken. All it needed was the right amount of pressure.

"Do you think the Second Rise could have infiltrated Borg?" said Cole. In the window, he watched Zane's reflection speak.

"How could they?"

"I mean, the Second Rise has been around all these years and no one's noticed? How many kids do you think they kidnap a year? Why has this gone unnoticed?"

"I do not know, Cole."

"Don't you understand? Reports go through the police, who in turn go through Borg. Something has to be happening there."

"What are you saying? You think Borg is responsible?" Zane rose from his seat.

Cole wasn't about to give him a chance to get close.

"I'm saying that sometimes, the good guys do bad things. And more often than not, it's the bad guys pretending to be the good guys all along. It's just life."

"Is this about Jay? Are you saying that we are the bad guys? I thought you were done with this."

"I don't think you're the bad guy. I just don't think Jay's the only puppet pretending to be someone I can trust."

Cole pulled his arm back. Summoning his Earth strength, he punched the glass as hard as he could. It only left a tiny crack. He did it two more times. The crack only grew an inch.

"Cole, please stop!" Zane shouted. "You cannot break the glass. You will hurt yourself."

"Yeah, I don't think I can break the glass, either," he said. "But I know someone who can."

He put his palm flat on the glass. He summoned his Earth energy, feeling it travel through his veins. It built up in his hand, growing and growing until he could no longer contain it.

He pushed against the glass. His Elemental Dragon erupted from his hand, too large and powerful for the room to contain. It grew into the windows, and one by one, they shattered under the pressure.

Cole could hear Zane yelling behind him. He ignored him and jumped out of the window.

He fell through the air, using bursts of airjitzu to prevent himself from reaching terminal velocity and dying before he even reached the ground. As he approached the ground, he saw a huge blur fly around. When it was close, he grabbed it and swung himself on. His Elemental Dragon took off from the Tower, bringing him away from downtown and towards the area where he resided.

Once they were close enough, Cole cut off the flow of energy to his dragon and it disappeared, sending him into a free fall again until he landed on a nearby apartment building roof. Using airjitzu, he travelled by rooftop, jumping from building to building until his own building was in his sight. He ran the rest of the way, only slowing once he reached his street block and didn't want to bring attention to himself. His floor in the building had changed since his departure. Outside of his door, there were old candles and wilting flowers. He unlocked his door and carefully stepped over them to go inside.

As he peaked around the corner into the main room, he froze at the sight of a figure on his couch. He hadn't expected the nindroids to have already arrived. How quickly had Zane reported it?

He took another step closer. Upon closer inspection, he realized that this wasn't a nindroid. It was a human.

It was Kai, sitting on his couch and holding Cole's ninja clothes. He turned to face him at the sound of his footsteps.

"Cole! You got here faster than I expected," he said. He jumped out of his seat, and it was only then that Cole realized that Kai wore his fighter clothes, fit with knee pads, gloves, and the katana Cole had bought him for his birthday. "Nya told me to come here. Apparently, I'm supposed to help you with something."

"You are absolutely not coming with me," Cole responded. He walked forward and took his clothes from Kai's hand. He made his way to his room and closed the door to change. Well aware that his apartment was small enough for Kai to hear him, he continued to speak. "Khan is a one-man fight. If I'm lucky, he'll only bring along a few secret nindroid guards that I'll have to take down. I don't want you there."

"Why not? Do you not trust me?"

"I trust you. But now that I know you're on my side, I don't want you to come with me. I want you to do something else." Cole changed quickly, throwing his normal clothes all over the room in an effort to put on his gi faster. He would clean it up later, when it was all over. In the mirror, he adjusted the headpiece over his face until only his eyes could be seen. It was time.

"What is it?"

Confident in his apparel, Cole left his bedroom and nearly smacked Kai with the door. He strode past him, making his way to the front entrance. He threw open the door and checked to see if Kai had followed him. He had.

"Nya is lying to Khan, who we now know is a member of the Second Rise. Whether I succeed or not, she's going to be in danger. I want you to go to Borg Tower and help her," he said.

"They took away my clearance after our ice cream conversation," Kai said. "How do I get inside?"

A good question. Cole took a moment to think, mapping out potential routes, and then remembered that Borg now had a glaring hole in their security.

"You're not afraid of heights, right?"

On the rooftop of his building, Cole once again summoned his Elemental Dragon. He boosted Kai up on top and discussed the plan. Cole's dragon would fly him to the meeting room in the Tower. Once inside, it would be up to Kai to locate Nya and protect her from the potential waves of nindroids that Khan would likely sic on her. Kai nodded along, repeating the plan back to Cole several times until he understood it.

"Do me a favor," Cole said. "Don't die. I've been promising myself that I wouldn't let you guys hurt yourselves in this lifetime. Anything that happens after this is on me. Don't make me regret sending you out."

"Whatever happens, I won't blame you," Kai promised. "I've been looking forward to my first ninja mission for so long. Look at us! We're rebelling against the system and facing off against armies. This is awesome!"

"You're so young," Cole said with a laugh. "Now go. We both have somewhere to be."

Kai saluted. "Aye aye, captain."

After the dragon had taken off, Cole travelled across the rooftops. He paused at every edge, looking down to check for nindroids. It was the middle of the afternoon. Why hadn't they come after him yet? It wasn't like he was hard to spot in the skyline in the daylight.

Ronin's building came into view. Cole jumped down into an alleyway that connected with Ronin's street. He peeked out. No one was there yet. Or they were hiding. No matter what, every move was risky. But he couldn't wait for long, so he darted down the sidewalk and quickly scampered up to Ronin's balcony. He opened the door, stepped inside, and then closed it behind him.

Ronin was on his living room couch, watching TV. His hand was already grabbing for his gun on the coffee table when he finally got a good look at Cole. His jaw dropped.

"What the fuck? You're dead," he said. "Did you turn into a ghost again or what?"

"It's a long story. But I'm alive," Cole replied. He wasted no time getting to the point. "You need to leave."

Ronin stood up. "Leave? Why?"

"It won't be safe here soon. Go wait a few blocks away or find something to do downtown."

Ronin shoved the gun into his pants and began to mill around his apartment, picking up his wallet, phone, and laptop and shoving them into a ragged backpack rife with holes. "You know, if you were anyone else, I wouldn't be doing this."

"I figured."

Ronin was out of his apartment in a matter of minutes. Cole peeked out the balcony window, watching Ronin's departure in case Khan sprang up on him. Nothing. Ronin disappeared around the street corner and Cole let himself believe that he was safe.

The wait was terrible. Cole no longer seeked out battle, but nothing was worse than _waiting_. As more time passed, reaching an hour, he became too anxious to remain in Ronin's apartment. He stepped onto the balcony and sat on the bannister, his legs swinging off the edge.

The sun was setting when an armored truck turned onto the street. It stopped at the far end, a few buildings away. Cole waited for Khan or nindroids to climb out of the back.

But before he could see them, his reality slipped away.

Cole opened his eyes to his bathroom. It wasn't the washroom in his room at Borg, or the one in his apartment, but the one from the townhouse he'd shared with his father as a teenager. He checked the doorknob. It was locked. Downstairs, he could hear some kind of commotion. Banging noises. The sound of his father's loud voice carrying upstairs, robbing Cole of any real escape.

"So," said a voice to his left. Cole whipped his head to the side to see Khan leaning against the wall. It was starting to feel a little cramped. "This is a memory that carries weight in your mind. It must be pretty important if it's lasted more than thirty centuries."

"How are you doing this?" Cole demanded.

"Just a bit of magic," Khan said. He smiled. "Why not tell me about your memory?"

"It's the night I ran away. I hid in here for hours." Cole looked at Khan through the bathroom mirror. "Why are we here?"

"You'll see."

The bathroom melted away and Cole found himself once again on Ronin's balcony. He felt a hand grab the back of his head and keep it straight. Khan. "Do you hear that, Cole?"

He strained his hearing. There was a familiar voice wafting through the air, barely audible above the drone of cars in the distance. But the words brought crisp recognition. It didn't take long for Cole to realize what it was.

"My dad. You're making me hear his voice," Cole said.

"Observant. Now, let's go a bit deeper."

Cole blinked, and in front of him, on the street, was a bed. Sitting over its edge was Jay, small in the distance. It was a familiar scene from his prison cell, when Cole had seen his condition for the first time. Cole called out to Jay. He didn't look up.

"Your worst memories and greatest fears are closer than you realize," Khan began. "Imagine your only remaining friend almost dies at the hands of someone you thought you could trust. Someone offers a solution, a way to prevent something like this from ever happening again. You don't like this idea because it strikes you as . . . unethical. You refuse to participate. But then, every so often, you think you see his body laying in front of you, bleeding out because you couldn't save him in time. Sometimes, it's your other friends, and on the worst of days, it's you. It makes it a little easier to follow the plan, doesn't it?"

"Zane," Cole beathed. "And you got Nya too, didn't you? This is why Kai was the only one that could see past it. You didn't have influence on him."

"You're catching on," Khan said. "But it's too late to help you. You turned one of my best against me. You made such a commotion escaping I'm sure half the city knows you're alive by now. I can't allow you to live much longer."

"But why?" Cole asked. He clenched hand into a fist, feeling the energy flow through it. He had to let Khan believe he had the advantage for just a little longer. "What does the Second Rise want with me?"

"There's a lot in motion. This has been in the works for a long time." Khan let go of Cole's head. "But I can't tell you too much. My superiors are already angry with me enough as it is. Goodbye, black ninja. You put up a good fight."

Cole panicked. Was Khan going to try to kill him from behind? Did he have an assassin on a nearby rooftop, ready to take the shot? In that moment, he decided it didn't matter. He had to do something.

It was a good thing Ronin's building was made of brick and concrete.

Cole jumped off the railing. He landed in a roll, where he allowed his body to feel connected to his surroundings. He located the balcony. As he came to a stop, he pushed on the sidewalk pavement and willed the balcony to collapse beneath Khan's feet.

The collapse brought down the two balconies beneath it, creating a chain reaction Cole narrowly jumped out of the way of as the rubble crashed into the sidewalk. He put a bit more distance between himself and the building. Paranoid of being hit from behind, he used the street's pavement to construct walls behind and to the side of him.

He lifted his arm and moved the rubble until he could see Khan. Khan coughed and slowly raised himself to his knees. One of his arms was bent in a strange way. His skin was caked in dust and blood. Cole was ready to take him down, but he was still wary of his surroundings. He tried feeling for distant footsteps, a shift in weight, anything. But it really seemed like they were alone.

Still on his knees, Khan looked up. He met Cole's eyes. He flicked his wrist. A wave of of black overtook Coles vision.

He'd been transported elsewhere again. This time, a large, dimly-lit chamber with a quiet but large crowd. Cole was stuck in the back. He stood on his toes to peek over the heads and get a view of the makeshift stage at the front.

The man on the stage had a thin, non-threatening appearance. His face was covered in paint, making it hard to note facial features. His hair cut off at his chin.

"Nadakhan has failed us!" the man shouted. The voice struck Cole as being bizarrely _young_. He sounded like a teenager. "The black ninja is alive. Nadakhan tricked us into thinking he was dead! We've been goofed, boys. And to top it all off, we were overthrown at borg. Let's watch the broadcast they released a few minutes ago."

It hit him all at once. This was a Second Rise facility. The man on the stage was Feng.

Khan—or was his name Nadakhan?—had brought him to the present. Cole had no doubt his body was still in the old quarter. They were here to observe.

Feng stepped to the side. A large, white curtain unfurled from the ceiling. A grainy image was projected onto the curtain.

It was Nya. She sat at a desk, her lip busted and left cheek swelling under a bruise. Hurt, but alive. Kai had done his job.

" _My name is Nya. However, you may also know me as the water ninja,"_ she said. Her eyes were straight on the camera as she spoke. _"This is something of a PSA. One month ago, you were told the black ninja died. This is a lie. For several years, Borg Industries' security department has been headed by a man known as Khan. The ninja have uncovered that he is a member of a secret organization known as the Second Rise. We were meant to keep our knowledge of their existence as a secret, but much like the organization itself, we will no longer bide our time. Khan has been removed from power. His replacement is none other than myself. I am the water ninja returned to life. But I am not the only one; among me are the fire and lightning ninja. I guess I'm just trying to say that we're back. And as a message for groups like the Second Rise: we're coming for you. Water ninja out."_

The broadcast ended. Feng walked back to the centre of the stage. "Are you happy, Nadakhan? You know we don't tolerate failure well. Why don't you stop hiding in the back and come up here with me?"

The crowd turned. They looked past Cole, and he followed their gaze to Nadakhan, a broken figure still on his knees. His head snapped up to face the crowd. "You can fix this, Feng. You still have one more chance."

Feng jumped off the stage. The crowd parted as he slowly approached Nadakhan. He raised a finger. "Wish number one: you go back in time and kidnap the blue ninja," he said. He raised two fingers. "Wish number two: you infiltrate Borg Industries. You're no longer of any use to me. What reason do I have to use my third wish?"

He was halfway through the crowd. Nadakhan snarled. "I wouldn't get much closer. You can't see him, but the black ninja is here with me. You wouldn't want him to recognize you so early on in the plan, would you?"

Feng stopped dead. "You brought the black ninja here?" he demanded.

"Just as protection."

"Fine. Then here is my final wish: I wish that this wish is your last. Go back to your teapot in the Stiix ruins and _never come out_."

The last thing Cole saw was the look of horror on Khan's face.

He returned to the old quarter. He could no longer hear his father. Feeling safer than before, he peeked out from his stone shelter. There was no one there but Zane. He sat nearby, arms resting on his knees. His shurikens were on the ground at his side.

He'd been guarding him.

"Khan disappeared," Zane said. "I almost didn't believe Nya when she told me he was evil. But not only was he evil, he was inhuman."

"What was he?"

"He was a Djinn. He is thousands of years old, older than you and me. As a Djinn, he can grant three wishes to anyone who desires it, provided they rescue him from his teapot. If he was used by the Second Rise, they must have found him on purpose."

Zane stood up. He looked over his shoulder and met eyes with Cole.

"He split us apart. Upon her seizure of Borg's security department, Nya discovered that my sensors had been modified to trick me into thinking Khan was human. He has made me unable to trust my senses, and in turn, you unable to trust me. That is unacceptable."

Cole moved forward to put a hand on Zane's shoulder, but he stepped away. Cole felt his heart sink. "Zane, it's okay. I'm sorry I had to lie to you. I still trust you."

"I believe you. However, I do not trust myself." Zane picked up his shuriken. "I think I need to step aside for some time. I do not wish to become a weapon to be used against you."

"What do you mean?"

White sparks erupted from Zane's hands. His Elemental Dragon came to life next to him. "Everything I do is to help my friends," Zane said. He climbed up the dragon and sat down. "If I cannot protect you from even myself, I must reevaluate my role in your lives. I will be back soon. I just need a break."

The dragon flapped its wings and took off into the sky, bringing Zane with it. He was gone.

During his journey back to Borg, the edges of his sleeves became soaked as he wiped his eyes to dry out the tears. His airjitzu faltered beneath him, and a few blocks away from the Tower, he missed the edge of a rooftop and crashed into the fire escape instead. He managed to hang on and heave himself over, winded and unable to think straight. He stood on the metal escape for a moment, catching up on his breath and telling himself to just _calm down_. But his mind kept going back to his father's bathroom and the Second Rise facility and the old quarter where Zane had just left him, making it impossible for him to think cohesive thoughts without distraction and even worse connect with his Elemental Dragon to make the journey less difficult.

He finally reached the Tower. A nindroid greeted him on the ground floor and brought him to an elevator. Cole expected to go up, where he would meet Nya and Kai. The nindroid hit the button for one of the basement levels and the elevator shot down into the underground.

The doors opened to a wide hallway illuminated by pale blue fluorescents. He followed the nindroid through the corridor, noting the way the rooms were aligned. Every few steps, there was a metal door with no window on both sides of the hallway. The nindroid stopped in front of one of these doors. It turned to Cole.

"Kai has requested that you be the one to do this. You may open the door whenever you are ready."

Cole reached forward and opened the door. He looked inside the room and froze.

Jay was on his bed, tying knots with a thin string. He didn't notice that Cole had opened the door.

Cole entered the room, standing a small distance from the bed. "Jay?"

Jay's head snapped up. His eyes widened. "Cole?" he asked. He jumped up and hurried over to Cole, where he put his hands on his shoulders and then his cheeks and then took a step back. "You're alive. You're actually alive. The dreams . . . they were real. I . . . didn't kill you." Jay sank to the floor, sitting down with a look so shocked it made Cole's heart hurt. On the floor, he covered his face with his hands and wept.

Cole kneeled down next to him. Leaning in, he pulled Jay into a hug. Jay wrapped his arms around his back and held on tight, burying his head into his shoulder to cry. His words slurred, but Cole made them out. "I thought you were dead. I thought I was a murderer."

"It's okay," Cole whispered. "You're okay now. This is all over. You're free."

It took half an hour for them to leave the cell. Cole kept his arm wrapped around Jay's shoulder all the way to the top floor, if not only for comfort but to remind him that it was real and Cole wasn't going to disappear again. Silently, he promised himself that he never would.

On the top floor, Nya sat behind a large, wooden desk in what used to be Khan's office. Kai sat on the desk, facing the door as they entered. Like Nya, he was covered in bruises and cuts, but he was alive. He was okay.

He greeted them as they entered. "We won!" he threw his arms in the air. "With our big brains and awesome moves, we've secured yet another victory for team ninja. Nothing can kill us! We're invincible!"

Nya laughed. "Yeah, I don't know about that one. But Kai is right—we've succeeded. The Second Rise just lost its greatest advantage because we rooted them out of Borg. I think that's cause to celebrate."

"We lost Zane," Cold said. "He left. I don't know where he's going or when he's going to come back. How is that a win?"

Kai's face turned solemn. "He told us he was going to leave before he went to go check up on you. Nya ran diagnostics. Since Zane is a part of Borg's system, Khan was using him to spy on us. He knew our every move. And so did the Second Rise."

"We're working on removing him from our system," said Nya. "In a few hours, he'll have no connections with anything Borg-related. Not even the Wi-fi network."

"What about Jay? Is he still connected?"

Jay looked back and forth between Nya and Cole. "I'm what?"

"It's a long story," Nya said. "Without going into too much detail, you have an implant in your hippocampus that's been used to block memories and temporarily take over your functions. So, yes, you did try to kill Cole. But it wasn't really _you_."

"They used me because I'm the blue ninja, didn't they?" Jay asked. "They figured out who I was when I was a kid and abducted me. If this implant is true, they made me forget my past and dumped me in the Sands to be adopted by my parents. My whole life led up to that night in my apartment with Cole. I was going to end up dead or in prison no matter what I did."

Cole squeezed his shoulder in comfort. Kai spoke up. "I mean, if it makes you feel any better, you're going to die anyways."

Nya leaned forward and shoved him off the desk. He fell to the floor didn't get up, groaning in pain. She leaned back in her chair. "Jay, I'm going to have a research team figure out if we can safely remove your implant. It may be dangerous since it's been in there throughout your brain development."

"And what if you can't?" Jay said.

"We'll figure something out."

It took one day for Nya to expunge Jay's record, have his implant checked out, and arrange for his university to give him the semester off with a full tuition refund. Nya and her team discovered that his implant couldn't be removed, but they could remotely access it and remove all of the spyware. Deciding this was good enough, Jay went into surgery the next Saturday and was cut off from the Second Rise for good.

The next month wasn't easy. Jay stayed out late each night, hanging out with Cole or going to video game cafés whenever he wasn't working. He often came over to Cole's to take naps while he was home, and at the beginning of November, Cole found out he'd gone a full week and a half without ever going home. He sat him down to talk about it, and through tears, Jay explained that he couldn't live alone anymore. "The isolation kills me now," he said. "When I close my eyes on my bed, I feel like I'm back in that cell. I can't live alone anymore. I just can't."

"Then let's change that."

By December, they found a two-bedroom apartment in the old quarter that was only a few blocks away from the closest skytrain. It took some time to move in, but after a couple of weeks of moving things around, they figured out how to accommodate for both of their possessions. Jay set up his nintendo in the living room and they played _Smash_ every other night, having fun until they got bored and switched to any other game in Jay's collection. At night, on the worst days, Jay crawled into Cole's bed and slept beside him, hand on his arm or torso to remind himself that he wasn't alone.

Come February, two months after Jay started his new semester, he didn't need to share the bed with Cole anymore. But sometimes, after a long movie, they fell asleep on the couch together, laying on top of each other until one of them woke up in the morning and had to move. Whenever Jay awoke first, he would jokingly push Cole off the couch, but after a particularly bad incident that included skull temples and coffee table corners, he curbed the habit.

Zane still hadn't returned by spring. The other ninja assured Cole that it would be okay, but he was worried that his friend was out there somewhere in the country, letting guilt eat him alive. Did he go looking for him or respect his friend's autonomy? He didn't know what to do.

Walking in public became something of a problem for Cole again. He was recognized frequently in the street, sometimes asked for pictures and sometimes shouted at from somebody across the street. His flower shop had apparently boomed while he was gone, although his staff members were still a little freaked out because none of them knew who was supposed to step up and fill in Cole's shoes. At his return, everything seemed to return to normal, albeit busier than usual.

Despite the fanfare, he was acutely aware of the Second Rise's presence in the streets. He checked over his shoulder every few seconds, just as he'd used to. He didn't trust anyone that looked under eighteen, acutely aware that any minor now held the chance of being an assassin out to get him.

In the summer, Nya pulled some strings and got Jay an internship in Borg's engineering department. Concerned about bringing him back to the Tower, she arranged for it to take place in one of their research centres close to the old quarter. And so, for that summer, Jay got to do something he loved for eight hours a day. When he'd come home in the afternoon, he would ramble about his day for half an hour, and Cole would listen just like he always did, nodding along to the story. Jay talked a lot, but now that he got the chance to live with him again, Cole never wanted him to shut up again.

Cole took the long route home on a hot August day, choosing to relish in the sun instead of hiding from it as he usually did. It was close to dinner time, so the streets were packed with people, all trying to get home or go out somewhere with friends. In the midst of the chaos, he bumped shoulders with someone and heard them fall to the ground.

He turned around to help them up, then froze in place.

A black hoodie. Beneath it, blonde hair and bright red eyes that looked like contacts. A look of shock on his face.

"Lloyd?"

A beat passed.

"Cole?"

 ~~**RED | FIRE** ~~  
~~**MAGENTA | WATER** ~~  
~~**BLUE | LIGHTNING** ~~  
**GREEN | ENERGY**  
**TOGETHER | UNITY**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A quick note to all Zane fans who may be thinking: "Wow, Spacen, what the hell?" Wait! Each character gets a story arc. Zane just doesn't get his own chapter! His big moment is on its way!
> 
> Edit: I probably sound like a broken record, but thank you again for all of your comments and kudos! I really appreciate it! Remember, although I don't reply, I read and cherish every comment! Thank you so much! <3


End file.
